Ashes
by ouatfanfics
Summary: Hermione, the perfect prefect, breaks the law, big time. the wizarding world is changing-and not for the better. slightly au, definite fremione, only fluff.
1. Chapter 1

The third year

Hermione's life had been crazy. She loved her best friends, Ron and harry, but on days like this, or months like this really, where she wished she hadn't been looking for Neville's toad, or hadn't begged for the hat to put her in Gryffindor. She would never tell anyone what the hat was thinking.

:)

 _Ahhhhh I see. You crave knowledge…. But not naturally_

At that Hermione scoffed. Knowledge, she spent all summer drinking up all of the words from her textbooks, only reading them three times each. Practicing spells and wand flourishes. She knew all that she could about Hogwarts and definitely naturally sought out knowledge.

 _Tisk tisk miss granger, I'm not saying you aren't smart…you're trying to prove yourself…because you're a muggleborn! Ahhhhh…you could be in_ _Slytherin_

No! No! Don't put me in Slytherin…please please please. She begged. She pleaded.

 _"Not_ _Slytherin_ _?"_ she turned her head. The Slytherin table actually looked relieved. Prats.

" _Lets see…. GRYFFINDOR!"_ She turned her head, taking her place next to one of the many gingers that found home in the sea of red and gold.

Soon Ron and harry joined her, it was a rocky start- and until the troll, the three headed dog and the game of wizard chess, they really weren't the most synchronized trio.

:)

Today was the final day at Hogwarts, and she had just come back from snapes potions closet…with a bushel of mandrake leaves. She was up to no good. After meeting Sirius, she was infatuated with anamagi. She had checked out all of the books from the library and read them at a intense rate-before borrowing Harrys cloak and the marauders map to slip into the restricted section, leaching off the pages.

Harry and Ron noticed something was off but dismissed it. She was always a little off in their opinion, so this behavior was nothing new. They talked of summer plans, and harry of Sirius, which Hermione found most interesting.

"I have to go back to the Dursley's…but I've told them that school starts two months earlier than it does. The Weasley's are having me. Sirius said he would try to visit!"

"I still don't understand why he can't just stay with us. I mean, he's a bloody dog. Doesn't take up that much room." Ron whined, tiring of the conversation.

"That's the problem Ron. Being who he is, and what he has allegedly done, he would stick out like a sore thumb."

"Still. Once he's at the burrow he would be safe. And if not he could just go into the woods as pad foot for a while."

"He's unregistered. If he gets caught-its going to be worse. Azkaban is Azkaban- not any easier weather he did something or not."

This made Hermione think. She couldn't be sure what her Animagus be. She could be a bumblebee, or a swan. Even an octopus. It could be pointless.

It was dangerous.

And complicated.

But hey, the group had faced a weakened voldemort, a giant Basilisk, a young tom riddle, and for twelve years Ron had a rat that exposed Harrys parents. They were never in any real danger with Sirius, she could count it though. They _had_ faced someone believed to be a death eater.

She leaned her head on the window, and she felt her eyelids cover her eyes. Her body was still, but her mind was doing jumping jacks.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a long summer for all of them. Hermione, though she loved her parents just wanted to practice magic or see her friends. However, the one thing she enjoyed most was becoming an animagus. She was an animagus. However she was endlessly confused on her form. She was a bird-but not a normal one. She had become a phoenix. She was endlessly amazed at this, but she could only transform in her room. They were magical creatures after all.

She had read about them but had never seen one, until a very long conversation with Dumbledore.

Initially, it had been about her getting a part time job in the library. She had read all of the books, he was a smart man. He knew she had teetered around in the restricted section. And then she saw it. A glorious animal.

Red, orange and yellow feathers. Long and skinny. It flapped its wings, and looked like a giant flame. She couldn't help but be enamored by the bird. It was brilliant. She walked towards it and it jumped onto her arm.

"Ahhhhh, Fawkes seems to like you, he is normally very distrusting." He looked at the girl and the bird, with a smile, one of his smiles. An all-knowing smile. "He's quite like you. Extremely smart with great talents. He can heal the biggest wounds with a single tear." Hermione was flattered but all of her attention had been focused on the magic of the creature next to her.

Now, being one, she truly felt the warmth of the bird.

But she couldn't do it unless she was alone, transform unless she was alone. She was Un registered. No way would they let a thirteen year old become one. You had to be of age. And she was not. Most people of age didn't even do it. It was dangerous. She new for a fact the weasley twins had tried it before. She had healed Fred after a 'slight problem with mandrake leaves'. She wasn't stupid. His mouth had been swollen for a week.

And to become an animagus, you had to hold a leaf in your mouth for a month. A whole month. And Fred had swallowed it trying to eat a giant weasley dinner. She wouldn't tell him she knew. He thought he was pulling one over on her, but she liked knowing something that she could easily use against the twins one day.

Finally, however, it was time for her to head to the burrow. She loved her parents, she really did. She practically floated down the stairs and towards the fireplace. She kissed her parents goodbye, barely listening to the be safes and have funs, before grabbing a handful of well-concealed flu powder. She tossed it onto the old logs before shouting the burrow.

Using flu powder was, well, interesting. She felt her body stretch out and bend, occasionally ramming into her trunk. Then finally she flew through a green flash of light, landing on something that certainly wasn't the wood floor of the warm house.

A synchronized 'oof' came from bellow her and her suitcase. She was about to apologize when one of the twins hands shot across her mouth. She struggled before licking the boy's hand and turning around.

"George-" she started to screech before he shushed her.

"Hermione, thank merlin you're here, we need help." She turned around to see Fred, giving her puppy dog eyes from behind her.

"What did you two do?" she glared distrusting towards both of them, now standing together in front of her.

"Well, we made a-"

"Love potion, and its-"

"Working really well, almost-"

"Too well. Its causing-"

"A bit of a problem between-"

"Harry and-"

"Ginny."

She was always amazed. They were so in sync. However that thought was short lived, as she remembered what exactly had happened.

"How strong is it?"

Fred was the one who answered her. "Well, then its really two problems. They are locked in separate rooms, but keep escaping. Ginny cast a bat bogey hex and a body bind on Percy" Fred snickered at that, "while Ron is completely petrified. We just managed to escape a jelly legs hex ourselves."

"Let me upstairs."

Fred and George watched in awe. She practically had modes or settings. She went from angry to brilliant. She walked up the steps and with a flick of her wand she had harry and Ginny, both blushing terribly, she freed Ron and easily undid all of Percy's unfortunate incidences on the wrong side of the young Weasley's wand.

She then drug both of them by their ears into their own bedroom.

" _What_ were you two thinking? Making a potion that strong-wait. Were you _testing_ it on them?!"

"Well, you see-"

"They both like each other-"

"But won't admit it"

"So why not?"

"How did they get it?" she wondered.

"We made cookies. The batch actually turned out well." Fred and George nodded.

"Batch?" she raised her eyebrows and opened her mouth. The twins turned to each other with alarmed looks before all three of them flew down the flights of stairs separating them from the living room.

"Ginny get away from me!" Percy screeched.

"Ron! Ron! I will hex you into oblivion!" Ron stared down the wrong end of Harry's wand before lunging at him.

"I don't care I love-" and that was all he could say before harry shouted.

"Alarte Ascendare!" sending Ron flying across the kitchen, successfully knocking the ginger out.

Harry whipped in the twins direction.

"Never do that again." The twins nodded, but Hermione looked towards the plate of cookies, seeing molly weasley taking one into her hand.

" _Petrificus Totalus!"_ miss weasley dropped to the floor. By now Ginny had once again, been relieved of the dumb potion, and everyone was gaping at Hermione.

"Why did you do that to mum?" Percy squawked. George and Fred were in awe, while Ginny just looked at her frozen mother.

"Fred and George put a love potion in the cookies." All eyes were on the twins. "We all love miss weasley, we really do-but not in the way that potion works." She quickly collected the remaining three cookies, including the one from miss Weasley's grasp before removing the spell.

"imsosorrymissweasleyihadtotherewasapotioninthecookiesandwedidntwantyoutohaveone!" she spoke so fast no one could understand her.

"I only heard love potion in the cookies, but I have to thank you Hermione. Now how did that get into the cookies?" two gingers quickly sped out of the kitchen and towards the garden.

 _"Of course she could curse mum without getting an earful"_ Ron muttered as he rubbed his head walking towards the living room.

Hermione quickly sniffed the cookie. She didn't want to, but she knew that the twins would keep trying the love potion, and the effects could be worse than before. She walked to the garden, finding them on the brooms beating a Bludger around.

She leaned against the house and watched them float through the air. It was a beautiful sport, it really was, and she wished she were less afraid of brooms so she could play.

She was lost in thought when they landed behind her.

"Hermione, we owe you big time. I swear on merlin that we wont-"

"Powdered Moonstone"

"What?" they said in unison.

"Use less next time."

She walked away and the twins stared at her.

"Gred?"

"I was just thinking the same thing Forge."

About a week later they headed off towards the quiditch championship. It was the first time that she used a port key and she hoped it would be her last.

They set up the tent and headed towards the pitch. It was truly exciting. All of the fans sporting team colors. She, Fred, George and Ginny were all supporting the Irish, while the others were sporting the colors of Bulgaria. The only people not sporting any colors were-

"Well let's put it this way, if it rains, you'll be the first to know" luscious sneered. Truly horrible people. All she wanted to do was pour some of the twins hair-transforming goo onto the long white stringy strands of the deranged mans hair.

"Father and I are in the ministers box" what she wanted to do to the father, paled in comparison to what she wished to do to his younger ferret-looking son. "By personal invitation of Cornelius fudge himself"

"Don't boast Draco, there is no need with these people" he sneered at Arthur. Hermione hated him. Arthur worked hard to get them all tickets when all that daft death eater had to do was, most likely, threaten the minister.

Hermione pulled her wand from under her scarf.

"Anteoculatia" she whispered, watching luscious Malfoy, unknowingly, sprout antlers. She knew for a fact that no one bothered to tell him, and Draco never even glanced at his father.

"Alright Hermione!" the twins patted her on the back, Mr. weasley however…

"Now, miss granger. That wasn't very nice. Appreciated, however." She thought that he would undo it, however it seamed that he took plenty of pleasure watching the man meander around with giant antlers atop his head. In all honestly, it looked better than his greasy white mange that he called hair.

After the game, celebration was in order, even for the losing team.

Ron, who anyone would have thought was under a babbling charm, couldn't stop wandering around and telling everyone how wonderful Krum, a Bulgarian seeker, was.

"Viktor I love you! Viktor I do!" the twins started again, this time everyone joined in, using singsong voices and giggling the entire time.

"When were apart my heart beats only for youuuuuu!" everyone cheered, smiling, and rambling about.

"Seams like the Irish got their pride on!"

That was when all hell broke lose. Everyone running and screaming. Death eaters everywhere.

"Harry! Harry! Harry!" Hermione felt helpless. Truly helpless. Knowledge always helped her but how could she find him. It would take a birds eye view…

She went into one of the tents, quickly turning into a brilliant animal. She soared through the air looking for him but to no avail, eventually she just started to look for the other weasley. She spotted them and quickly landed, transforming back just in time.

"Harry! Harry!" the group screamed. Hermione spotted him first. "Harry! Are you okay!" she sprinted towards him quickly.

"Wha-whats that?" harry bumbled and pointed to the sky.

"That's his mark"

For once she had hoped this could be a normal school year. Well, as normal as it would get when she was best friends with bloody harry potter.

 _ **A/N: I** **thoroughly**_ _**enjoy writing this story and shall be posting the next chapter, in the forth year. I, personally can not stop writing. My chapters are long, this next chapter exceeding 6,000 words, mainly because the entire year is one chapter. My favorite ship, even though it never set sail, is Fred and Hermione. Ron, Harry and George will all have relationships but there will be no Ron/Hermione. please leave a review, It'd make me very happy :)**_

 _ **thanks! - colleen**_


	3. Chapter 3

The train ride to Hogwarts was uneventful at best. Hermione had stopped by the twin's compartment but they wouldn't let her in. up to something, always up to something.

However, things changed when they got to Hogwarts. Two wizard schools were joining them for the tri-wizard tournament. As the girls, dressed all in blue, from Beaux batons, and the boys, dressed all in fur pelts, from durmstrang.

Hermione found it quite disgusting the way all the boys drooled over the lady's, there were witches twice as talented _and_ twice as beautiful from Hogwarts. But then again, no lady around could just say Krum was average.

All of the students fawned over Krum, however. He was a quiditch god, the youngest seeker in the league, actually.

Dumbledore began to talk of the rules and something about Barty crouch, but lighting vibrated through the ceiling. Neville almost fainted into his spell-your-name soup. A door swung open and in entered a man. Not any man.

One of the most successful aurors ever.

Mad eye moody.

Hermione had read about him in her books, inhaled the pages, and nursed on the words. He had brought in some of the worst death eaters ever. He had the biggest collection number of them, and even collected Sirius. That was over now however.

She had never seen him in person. Or in picture, lately. He had recently been avoiding all public eye for unknown reasons. His name was mad eye, however, so it was decided that it was somewhat normal.

His face was slack, and hung like bread dough. His eye seamed like it had never been taken off and was now cutting into his skin. His hair was light and patchy. What caught her eye most was how he jutted his tongue out.

She had read about many of his mannerisms. But this was not one of them. She remembered someone else doing it-but the pieces weren't coming together.

He pointed his wand at the ceiling and it returned to its normal state.

Mr. Crouch had been babbling about how hosting the tournament was an honor, and then got to the newest rule.

"All students participating must be at least sixteen years of age."

"RUBISH"

"NO WAY"

"UNBELIVABLE"

Some students went to bed that night glad they couldn't participate. Some were disappointed. Those who could were pondering if they should or not. But only two gingers. Two identical gingers thought they could outsmart Dumbledore.

"I am professor moody. I will be your defense against the dark arts teacher this year. Today we will be learning about the unforgivable curses."

The class continued on. Mad eyed tortured a spider. And tortured Neville. Not many knew, but a death eater had tortured Neville's parents. One that mad eye so happened to be put away. She knew that all Neville could think about was that his parents went through that. For him. As well as the curse that came next.

"Miss granger could you give us the last curse?" Hermione shook her head.

"Surely you know it?" she shook her head again.

"EVADA KADAVERA!"

The sound rung out in Hermione's mind. He had gone mental. Completely mental.

She wanted to do something interesting. She had read all of her books three times already and the teachers gave no homework. Except for snape, of course. He had given a three pager on love potion. Which she completed in about a half an hour.

She decided to go down and watch to see who submitted their name. As soon as she sat down, Fred and George cam storming in. holding two bottles of ageing potion. When she had told them it wasn't going to work, they didn't believe her. She knew she wasn't wrong, but she genuinely didn't want anything bad to happen to Fred. And George.

She watched as they were knocked back and stood by there sides, helping them up.

"I told you so."

"Fine. You were right 'mione." She stood them up and helped them get to the common room.

"Go lay down. I'll go get my cauldron."

She walked upstairs and grabbed all of the ingredients for an anti ageing potion. She piled ashwinder eggs, knotgrass, stewed mandrake as well as eye of newt and brought it back to the common room, which was mostly empty seeing as it was passed curfew.

"Breaking rules for us, eh granger?" George smirked.

She just gave him a glare and continued working.

"Like what you see?"

"Only if you're into older men." She smirked back.

"Yeah Hermione. Why are you doing this?" Fred asked, genuinely. He wanted to know if there were strings attached,

"While you bumbling idiots were showing off I looked at your potion. With the amount of moonstone you put in you would look like this for a month."

"You care then?"

"Not even my idea. Some poor girl asked me to fix Fred for the ball."

"What am I, chopped newt?" George shrieked. Hermione didn't mind being around them. They were nice when they weren't being complete prats. The night continued on with joking until the potion was ready.

"Cheers" the boys linked arms and choked down the nasty potion. When they turned back around Hermione had passed out on the couch. They looked up at the time. One o'clock in the morning.

"We really do owe her." George said as he cleaned up a bit while Fred looked around for a blanket. Fred was still searching while George went upstairs. He found one his mum made for her lase Christmas. His mum looked at her like a daughter. She tried her best to re create the blanket that Draco had set to flames in her second year.

"Thank you 'mione" he said as he tucked her in, leaving a quick kiss on her cheek. He blushed. Why was he even blushing, she was asleep after all.

A week Hermione was once again reeling with anger after a fight with Ron. Ever since her second year, Hermione had been infatuated with house elves, and also frequently visited dobby and his friends in the kitchen.

Today he called it stupid, and a waste of time. Going as far to say that house elves didn't deserve help. All because she was spending time having fun with the elves rather than letting him copy her work.

"I'm failing transfiguration _and_ potions because of you!"

"Maybe if _you_ tried _your_ work instead of copying _mine_ and relying on _my_ work you wouldn't be doing so poorly!"

"Those elves should never should have been given clo-" he couldn't finish.

" _Entomorphis!"_ The common room gasped as Ron twisted and turned into a beetle, she sniggered at the though as she grabbed a book on animagus law from a top shelf in the library.

"Hullo 'mione" she looked up from her book to see Fred. He looked like he wanted something.

"Now what would you be doing with that?"

"Um…. -nothing. Nothing at all." He smirked.

"Is someone trying to become an animagus?" she could reply honestly.

"No. However I know you were at one point." His mouth opened wide. How did she know that? Blasted George. "Now what would you like."

"What spell did you use on Ron?"

She rolled her eyes.

Two days later Ron had apologized. They sat together in the stands and cheered as harry came back with his egg.

They came back to celebrate in the common room, and everyone was bumbling about the Yule ball. That night many Gryffindor's plucked up there dates. Fred didn't really have anyone he wanted to go with, so he went and sat out on the small balcony. Moments later stormed out an angry Hermione.

"What's he done now?" she gave him a look. "You know who I'm talking about."

"I just. Harry, Ron and I are all close. Sometimes he doesn't think about what Harry's been through. He can be so insensitive." She shook her head.

"And then, do you know what he said to me? He told me I was his date to the ball." Fred raised an eyebrow, confused.

"The key word being told. Like I didn't have a choice. Like I wouldn't go with anyone else. For merlin's sake Krum asked me and I said no just in case Ron wanted to-but he should have asked. That git. That Prat that blo-"

"Would you like to go with me?" Fred stopped her. "Not a prank, nothing like that. You truly are lovely and I would be proud to go with you." He felt nervous, he wasn't just doing it because of Ron, he genuinely wanted to.

She smiled. He felt a blush take over his cheeks. She was properly beautiful.

"I would love that Fred."

"I'm George" he mocked offense. It was fun to twin switch, and he pitied that people who weren't twins would never know the feeling.

"No your not. Your Fred." She was the first real person that had been able to tell them apart. His mother couldn't. His brothers couldn't. If George wasn't the other half, he wasn't even sure if George would.

"How'd you do that? No one can tell us apart?" he smiled at her. Although it was cool that he was interchangeable, practically had a body double, it felt better knowing that someone just knew they were separate. Knew him, not them. "We're not that different."

"Yea you are" she smiled at him, and he felt the blush creep down towards his neck.

"How? Were identical."

"No your not. You usually start jokes, you can be a little bit harsher, not in a bad way…your eyes are slightly different, yours are brown with little flecks of gold, his are darker. He's a bit taller. And when you smile, your dimple is on the right side, not the left like his." She blushed when she realized how weird it was that she knew these things. These irrelevant details.

"Um well…I should really be getting to bed. It's late and I'm helping dobby make elf clothes tomorrow, so err…goodnight I guess." She looked him in the eyes and decided to step out of her comfort zone, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek before returning inside.

He sighed. He was going to enjoy the Yule ball. Not enjoy-he was going to love it. He smiled as he went back inside, and hurried up to the sixth year dorms. He fell back on the bed with a content sigh.

"What's wrong with you?" George mumbled through his pillow.

"I've just got a date to the ball."

"Who?"

" 'Mione."

His brother sat up quickly and pounced onto his bed.

"Do you have a fever? Have you been testing our love potion again? If you are-I think we've perfected it."

"I do not have a fever! She can tell us apart, you know? I think I genuinely like her…and I am not in love with her! I just…like her.

The next morning Hermione woke up in a great mood-a wonderful mood. She pulled Ginny after her and soon they were in hogsmeade, in the only dress shop in town. It wasn't crowded however, not everyone had gotten dates last night and those who did weren't planning on going so early in the day.

"Ginny, who are you going with? Harry I hope?"

"No. I do not want to dance with a champion. It would have been nice if he asked me though. I'm going with Neville."

"Neville is great fun! You'll have a great time with him I promise, just don't bring up herbology."

Soon the two were searching the racks, picking out dresses for the other. Hermione had lifted a dress she thought Ginny would love, green and pink tulle with a pink stash across the middle. A light pink top half with off the shoulder green fabric. It was a stunning dress and Hermione couldn't wait for her to try it on.

Across the store, Ginny had picked up a dress with light pink and Fuchsia, a silk bodice and sheer shoulder panels. They met in the back and tried on the dresses, both shrieking with pleasure as they looked in the mirror.

They came out and gasped at each other, both bubbling with pleasure.

"You look absolutely brilliant! Bloody brilliant!" Hermione said as she lifted Ginny's hands as she twirled the girl a year to her younger around.

"You too! You too Hermione! Give me a twirl!" Hermione giggled and spun around.

"We have to get these!" they changed quickly and rushed to the register, she noticed Ginny's face when she saw the price. She knew that face, she watched the younger girls eyes wander around for a different dress.

"Oh-um Ginny, I think I left my coat in the changing room, could you run and get it?" she knew full and well that her friend would never let her pay for the dress.

"Ring these to up please?" Hermione beamed. She had been saving her money up for the past four years. She never really needed anything, and she knew that Ginny really loved the dress.

"Hermione its not in the dressing…. Room" she turned to see her friend already had her coat on, and that she was holding two bags. Hermione handed her one and she threw her arms around the girl.

"Oh Hermione! Thank you so much! I owe you!"

"You owe me nothing. Neville is going to die!" she gushed.

"Speaking of dates. Who's the lucky bloke?"

"Your brother" Hermione smiled, not even thinking about her words.

"Oh, Ron and you shall look horrible! Have you seen his dress robes?" she choked out through the laughter.

"Not that one. I have my eyes on a different weasley." She smirked.

"Which twin?"

"Fred" she beamed. Her heart did a tiny cartwheel when she spoke his name.

"C'mon Fred! We ought to hurry up!" the two sprinted out of Snape's class, being sure that all of the traps were set. They tucked behind a stone pillar in the hallway and opened the map, harry had been letting them use it for their pranks against Snape. Their prior pranks lived up to the pranking duo's reputation.

They dyed his hair purple.

They put sunshine potion in his pumpkin juice.

They had the elves, or more like tricked the elves, into putting love potion in Snape's hog head stew. They said it was a favor for Hermione, and they all jumped on the chance to help them.

"Mistress Hermione will be most pleased!" the twins beamed at dobby, which, like the other elves now had pants and classy Muggle-esc shirts, as well as little chefs hats. Fred loved that side of Hermione; she knew the elves didn't have the best life but Hermione fought for them. Because of her constant support, they had their own dormitories, got one day off for the week and were allowed to go to hogsmeade.

And now, as they crouched behind the pillar, they watched Snape get stuffed into a dress, and have his make-up applied by enchanted brushes.

"WEASLEYS!" Snape started storming out but the boys were already speeding down the hall, however there escape plan was foiled by filch. They tucked into a corner and pulled out the map. The closest thing was the kitchen but they watched as a name, no, more of a blur sped towards it. Hermione had just gone from the Gryffindor dorms to the kitchen.

"C'mon! We'll just tell her were getting food." They ran down the hall and, through the portrait, entered the kitchen. There sat Hermione, in all of her glory. Hearing the portrait open she turned.

"Fred? George? What are you doing here?"

"We could ask you the same." Hermione gestured over and transformed two forks into chairs, which they gladly took.

"We have a book club!" Hermione announced cheerily.

"Dobby loves book club masters weasley. Mistress Hermione comes and we read a chapter together every other night!" Hermione truly smiled, she loved making them happy. They were her friends. They would make the food and they would read a chapter before eating and talking about it. Tonight was cookies and milk.

"Now, what are you two doing here?" she said, still smiling. Fred had never seen her this happy. She was in her element.

"Getting food."

"Dobby will fix you something masters weasley!" dobby put his book down and skipped, when Fred noticed they were wearing pajamas.

"Its okay dobby! I'm really not that hungry." Fred said awkwardly. Hermione knew he was up to something as soon as he denied being hungry, the famous weasley appetite never failed to impress.

"Dobby, why don't you lead the discussion about chapter twenty one, George do you want some cookies? I just want to talk to fried for a minute." She said with almost fake smile. George didn't notice, he just winked at Fred and grabbed a cookie.

Hermione took Fred's hand and pulled him into the corner. He knew he was in trouble but he couldn't help but feel good about holding her hand.

"Not hungry? Fred I've been here every other night for the past few weeks and you've never come in here. Especially not looking so flushed. Now what did you do?"

He absentmindedly traced circles on the back of her hand and looked down at his feet.

"We put Snape in a dress and did his make up…"

She smiled.

"I'm sure it was brilliant. Would you like to stay for the rest of the club?"

"Y-your not mad?" he looked at her face for any trace of anger.

"No, Snape's been a git lately and the idea of him running around in a dress is amusing" she grabbed his other hand and started swinging them.

"Now, lets get back to our friends" she smiled, standing up on her toes and giving him another quick kiss on the cheek before dragging him back.

They returned to the common room and Fred and Hermione wouldn't stop blushing. They said goodnight and Hermione flopped back onto her bed. She had kissed him on the cheek and rather liked it.

She liked him. Bloody hell she liked him. But he didn't like her back. It was a pity proposal, and he had sweet-talked her just so he wouldn't get in trouble. She couldn't get him out of her mind. The dance came quickly, and Hermione was nervous. She had charmed her hair into a curly bun. She took a deep breath and started down the stairs.

"Hi Fred." She smiled at him, taking the arm that he had offered.

" 'Mione, I'm George." She didn't even need to turn her head.

"Dimple." She reminded him, and he chuckled.

"You know your one of the only people who can tell us apart. Mum cant even do it half of the time." Fred said it endearingly, and it made her heart flutter. _Maybe_ he liked her. Just a little bit.

"You say it like its impossible" she giggled. "You _are_ two different people, are you not?"

By then they had reached the great hall, decorated with an array of tinsel and silver, the ceiling enchanted to make it snow.

Across the room harry and Ron sat with their miserable dates.

"She looks wonderful."

"I can't believe she has a date"

A slow song started and Fred pulled Hermione to the floor.

"Fred, I have to warn you I'm a terrible dancer"

"All the better, so am I." they just swayed, Hermione eventually putting her head onto his chest. Soon they started turning and then they turned back in. something felt off.

"George. Give me back to Fred please." He opened his eyes in shock.

"You're right. She really can tell us apart." He said as he guided her back to the table, Fred talking to Georges date, Katie bell."

"Oh George, your lying!" the girl squeaked, slapping Fred's arm.

"He is lying about one thing. This is George," she pointed next to her, "and that's Fred," she said, pointing to the twin next to Katie.

"Uhg! Weasley boys!" the girl squawked and walked away.

"Granger, you just cost me a date!" Fred said, still trying to hold up the ruse.

"No, I cost him his date. Your mine" she smirked, grabbing Fred's arm and pulling him back out to the dance floor.

 _Your mine_. He quite liked the way that sounds. I'm yours and your mine.

 _Your mine_. She wished he was hers and she was his.

"I'm yours, eh, granger? Bit possessive now are we?" he smirked

"You wish" she bantered back. But they did. They both wished it. The strange sisters came on then and they both ran off to dance again. She walked back towards the tables again; the slow songs were back on.

"Harry would you like to dance?" Hermione asked. He politely declined.

When Fred was on his way back to the table he caught a glimpse of a teary eyed Hermione leaving the great hall.

"Bloody hell! What did you do now!" he stomped over to Ron.

"I simply told her that you asked her out of pity. Its true isn't it?"

Harry would never say it, or not in front of Ron anyway, but he really deserved the punch Fred poured on him, and if there were a way to make ugly dress robes ugly-err, then pouring punch on it would be a good course of action.

Fred went screaming about the halls, looking for Hermione. Finally he went and got the marauders map. Her name was zipping about the halls but ultimately landed in a little hidden corridor on the third floor. He was headed there and she moved again. Quickly. Too quickly. Finally he caught up with her in the Owlery.

She was sitting, holding a very tiny owl in her hands. He recognized it.

Errol. The small, normally jumpy bird was willingly sitting in the girl's hands. She held him gently and straightened out his feathers. Errol hated being held, but she had a delicate, almost motherly, touch.

"He's a funny little bird, isn't he? Horrible messenger. Doesn't normally let people touch him." She turned with a sad smile. Her eyes were a little teary; she had already finished crying, but was still upset. She returned her attention to Errol.

"He just needs an understanding touch, is all" she stood up and placed the bird back in his hut, nestling him in under a scarf. He knew it was one of hers, but after a problem with some of their fireworks putting holes through it, she made Errol a little pocket, just to keep him warm.

"What did he do?" Fred asked, nearing her. He gathered her hands and rubbed them together, trying to keep her warm, before shedding his outer coat and then wrapping her in it.

"Just making comments about how I got my date. Made a few comments about Blackmail, potions and bad taste."

"If you have bad taste then he's got no shot."

"Wasn't about my taste at all. Says you've had your 'fair share of Nutters' and that 'I'm the newest addition'. Little does the prat know that his shoes are stuck to the ground. Not like anyone would want to dance with him anyway." She sighed.

"He's just jealous."

"I don't care. He's not worth it anymore. Anytime I'm happy he just goes and mucks it up."

"Your happy?"

"Yeah."

There was a long silence.

"Can I ask you something?" she nodded her head. "I was trying to find you, but you kept zipping around on the map. Are there secret tunnels I don't know about?" it took her a moment to think about what he meant.

"No."

"Well then how exactly do you do it? This isn't the first time I've seen you do it. The time with your book club we saw it too." She was staring at Errol, almost wishing that they were talking about her being upset about Ron.

"And I know you can't Apparate inside of Hogwarts. So what is it?"

"Promise you wont tell?" he nodded.

"Remember that time when your mouth swelled up from a mistake with mandrake root, and how I knew what you were trying to do?" he nodded. "And then a few weeks ago when you saw me with the animagus law book?" she could see the gears turning in his head, but they weren't going anywhere.

"It wasn't because I _wanted_ to become an animagus. Its because I was trying to become a _legal_ one." He looked her dead in the eyes.

"You're bluffing." He was shocked. Gob slacked. Truly, truly in doubt.

"Watch me." She stood and held her arms out. He watched as her beautiful dress turned from pinks and purples to reds and yellows. She shrunk and as she looked down a beak sprouted from her nose. Her feet became talons. She looked just like Fawkes.

"You-you weren't lying?" the bird shook its head.

"And you're a phoenix?" she bobbed her head.

"Can you fly?" she flapped her wings and flew next to him.

"I thought you could only become normal animals, ones that embodied your spirit?" the bird twisted. If I bird could smirk, that bird was definitely smirking. She sat next to him and quickly transformed back.

"The phoenix poses quality's that all wizards and witches have. Wizards can fly. Wizards can heal. Wizards can Apparate. And the phoenix certainly embodies me. I just-I'm worried about getting caught is all."

"You wont. But hey, maybe I should become one-"

"No. I know what you're going to say and you've already tried. You almost killed yourself with the dumb leaf." She giggled.

"Please please please please please! I'll do anything!" He pouted and gave he the cutest, prettiest puppy dog eyes and-

"No. It's too dangerous."

"Hermione!" he whined, "I'm all about danger. Explosions, potions, please just let me try!" she smiled at him and grabbed his hand.

"I'll think about it." He smiled brightly. "And I think…no"

"Stop being a tease! Please please please!" she looked at him and smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder.

He didn't give a dam about becoming an animagus anymore. He just wanted more of this.

"We should be headed back" he helped her from the ground.

"Fred weasley, are you sick, not wanting to break the rules? Are you even Fred weasley-certainly not George, definitely my weasley twin. Have you been cursed?" she felt his forehead with the back of her hand and smiled.

"Let me revise my previous statement. _Very_ possessive tonight." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. She blushed.

"Is that so bad?" she said, gliding her hand into his as they walked out. She glanced towards Errol. He loved that. Always caring.

He saw her every now in then the week after that. He had made a point to stop into her book club meetings with the elves. Tomorrow was the second challenge and he was excited to see her. Last night they sat in the common room together and she had gone and purchased something called a 'movie' for the elves to watch, on the book. And had said that if he wanted to see it he was welcome. She bought 'popcorn', whatever that was.

But when he went to the kitchen, he did not find Hermione; he found very panicked elves running about the kitchen.

"Mistress granger isn't here!"

"Perhaps she's forgotten us!"

"She wouldn't! We're her friends!" the elf screeched, tackling another.

"Perhaps mistress Hermione is off snogging that ginger of hers!" though situation was quite serious and it made him blush.

"Perhaps she's injured!"

"Or off with that Krum fellow!" Krum? Bloody hell did Krum have to do with this?

"Or perhaps dead!"

"Perhaps the mad eye fellow…"

"Perhaps"

"Master weasley have you seen mistress Hermione? We are all very worried." A small elf asked. He was one of Hermione's save cases. Over the summer she had freed half a dozen elves, this one was a young lad, never broken in. she was worried about him however. He lived with a particularly horrible family.

"I haven't, I actually came here to find her."

"Perhaps she's with Krum"

"Perhaps she forgot about us"

"Perhaps-"

"She didn't forget about you and she's not with Krum."

"Master weasley have you been up to no good?" dobby knew much, even knew about the marauders map, but would not reveal it in front of the other elves. While he knew they liked Hermione he had a suspicion that the elves had a slight vendetta against him. It was like a secret code, and dobby would never know how much he appreciated that.

"I have. And I can tell you she is no where in the school and not with Krum."

"Perhaps she forgot _and_ left the school"

"She had something fun planned for you tonight and you know as well as any that the school is completely shut down, no getting out"

"Master weasley I know what has happened. You can not help her." A small female elf emerged from the shadows, holding her head, trying to make the ringing stop.

"Blinkey, what do you know?" snarled Fred. He knew for a fact that Hermione would have scolded him severely had she known he talked to the depressed elf like that.

"Please help mistress Hermione. She helped you, remember? She healed you. Please help mistress Hermione." Dobby begged.

"Master crouch talked of the task. One involved taking someone cared for from a champion and keeping them someplace no one else can go."

"Where Blinkey! Tell me know!" Fred growled.

"The black lake. Only a champion can save her now."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Fred doubled over.

He ran back to the common room. There had to be something he could do. If only he was a champion. If only he could save Hermione. He couldn't get out of the castle. He bundled up and waited on the couch. He didn't sleep. He couldn't .He wouldn't.

How can you sleep when a loved ones in danger.

Loved one?

Yes. He loved Hermione granger.

Morning couldn't come soon enough. He had to act normal. He couldn't spook the champions. But who would consider Hermione treasure. He heard Ron was missing too. Of course he was worried for both of them. Scared beyond wits end. None of the champions other than harry could treasure Ron. Krum and him were mortal enemies. Fleur never gave Ron a second thought. And Cedric had known Ron for all of five minutes. He only had Harry.

With harry out of the running that left Krum.

Why would Krum treasure her? Obviously people did, she was a living breathing goddess.

All type of feelings were bubbling over. And he hated it. Before he knew he liked her it was joking. Pranking. It was fun. Today however he felt love, worry, jealousy and anger.

What if she was angry with him? And that was if she came back. He had screamed at that bloody elf!

But Blinkey had deserved it. He put Hermione in danger!

He clenched his hand into a fist so hard that his nails cut into his skin.

"You okay forge? You seam on edge."

"Yea. Tip top shape, really."

They had finally got to the platforms and Fred searched the lake, hoping to at least see her and know if she was okay. But it wasn't called the black lake for its crystal blue waters.

To top it all off, the contestants only had an hour.

The contestants dove into the water.

Ten minutes, no one had surfaced. Twenty. On the twenty sixth minute, fleur was retrieved seen floating in the water, swearing she had seen her sister tied in the water along with three others.

"You have to-you have to save her!" she cried. Trying multiple times to dive back in the water. "Let me back in. I wont compete. I just want my sister!" she wailed, draped on barty crouch, beating on his chest. Fred was one of the few that knew how he felt.

Thirty minutes, no one surfaced. On the thirty seventh minute a head popped out of the water. He searched to see her face, not bothering to look at the champion who retrieved her. Cho Chang.

Forty minutes, no one else had surfaced. Then, on the forty ninth minute, a head submerged rom the water and gasped for air. Those eyes, chocolate brown. He gathered towels and as soon as Hermione got to the platform bundled her up.

He cast a quick drying spell, which left her slightly damp and rubbed her shoulders.

She looked into his eyes "thank you" he hugged her.

"Don't thank me. But you should know you nearly gave m-us a heart attack. The elves were completely nuts last night.

"Oh my merlin the elves! Oh they probably think I forgot them-oh no!"

"They know you didn't forget them and were all very worried for you. They calmed down after Blinkey explained exactly what this task entailed, before worrying all over again."

"We can make up the session tonight, you can come over and we can have popcorn!" she said through chattering teeth.

"Your so bloody kind, you know that?" he stared into her eyes before they drug her away for medical examination.

Everyone was in the common room when her and Ron wondered in. Their faces were slack and Hermione's eyes were emotionless. "He's dead. Mr. Crouch is dead." She sat with Fred. Just sat. He knew she didn't want to talk. She fell asleep and he tucked her in. it felt like _Déjà vu_. He kissed her cheek. She was fast asleep.

"Love you," she mumbled before rolling over. And he started blushing while she was asleep all over again.

The next morning it was Sunday and she had told the elves she was all right, and they had all made her get well or welcome back presents. She thanked them endlessly.

"Tis not a problem mistress Hermione."

"If you would like I have something fun planned for tonight, it's a surprise. I have something fun so don't make any snacks, and if you all want we can finish the book right now."

That night she threw on her pajamas and they made their way towards the kitchen.

"I must look awful." She said gesturing towards herself. "Nightgowns are atrocious. The feel terrible." She was wearing a pair of fuzzy pants and a Gryffindor quiditch sweater, coincidently a gag gift he had given her years ago, on the back the name 'weasley' was printed with a little bat bellow it. He knew she had worn it for years now but he rather liked it. She had a pair of glasses on and her hair was stuck in a bun.

"You look wonderful. Better than me I'd say". It was a complete, but pleasant, accident that he was wearing the same sweater as her with grey sweatpants. They entered the kitchen and the elves all stared adoringly.

She gathered blankets and transfigured all of the dining room furniture into bean bags-not the bouncing kind, setting up something called a television.

The small elf came up behind her in the kitchen while she was making popcorn, staring lovingly at Fred, who was talking to dobby about one of he and his brothers pranks on Malfoy.

"Mistress Wea-mistress Hermione, please let me help with that. It seams easy enough to do." Hermione blushed. Mistress weasley, which had a nice ring to it. She didn't like being called mistress and had asked to just be called Hermione, but they refused.

"It's alright poppy, I have it handled. Why don't you play with tops?" with that the young elf bounced off. Hermione weasley.

They sat and watched Frankenstein. Hermione was a bit squeamish so she would occasionally yelp or whimper and tuck her head into Fred's chest, which both party's quite enjoyed. Sharing a beanbag meant they sat closely together, but the added closeness and shared warmth was a great upside.

It felt so… domestic.

By the end of the night the elves were bubbling over with joy, thanking Hermione.

"Mistress Hermione please teach us how to make corn pop."

"Dobby, I would love to teach you. I will bring it to our next session!" Fred and Hermione headed back to the common room. It was a long walk from the kitchen, and she was tired. Fred noted this and scooped her up; tossing her on his back and carrying her piggy back to the dorms. He heard a light snore from his back and spun her around.

"Fred!" she whined. She kissed the back of his neck and he put her down.

"Night Fred" she kissed him on the cheek.

"Night 'mione" he kissed her cheek as well. They headed up the stairs towards their dormitories.

 _God I love her_

 _I think I love him…_

The next few weeks went by wonderfully. No problems at all. The final challenge came along but Hermione had become nervous. She was reading a book about mad eye. The problems around the school-slight mishaps that could have had tragic results didn't start until moody came to Hogwarts.

She studied his behavior, and one thing seamed off. The tongue flicking. He never did it before. Ever. Not in any of the books, nothing before his final sighting before his start of Hogwarts.

Which had only been a month. You don't pick up a mannerism like that in just a month, a mannerism that happens exactly every three minutes, in perfect intervals.

She and Fred were sitting together for the final challenge. Harry had been in there for a matter of five minutes and already a champion had been retrieved, brutally, from the maze.

"Fred, Fred I'm scared."

"Its okay. Harry always pulls through."

"Something doesn't feel right. Its just-they've been in there for two hours. And nothing. And look at the way mad eye is behaving. He keeps checking the sky. I just want to see what happens. About a half an hour later she got her answer. Cedric was dead.

"He's back!" harry shouted.

Cedrics poor father was over him screaming.

"I should have never let him do this… barty and now him!"

That was it. She had read all about the death eater trials and one had always stuck out to her. The one were Igor Karkaroff let slip names. One of them being barty crouch, junior. It didn't matter what happened, but the picture showed a man, and his tongue flicked out of his mouth.

Snape had blamed harry for making polyjuice potion. Fred had her in a tight grasp when she struggled free.

"Hermione!" he reached out but caught none of her, only air.

She rushed down towards the professor, but Hagrid attempted to hold her back.

She was screaming but he wouldn't listen to her. She stopped struggling.

"I'm so sorry Hagrid." She gripped her wand loosely "Arresto Momentum" the man slowed down and she slipped out.

"Professor-Harry's in danger! Mad eye-he's not mad eye!"

And just like that the professors shot out and towards the school.

" _Aparecium!"_

Hermione's head was spinning, she began to fall, and then felt familiar arms against her. Fred's.

The next thing she knew she opened her eyes, to morning, and heard voices.

"They say she passed out due to the stress."

"I believe it. She saved my life, she must have been so overwhelmed."

She slowly lifted her head, harry looked at her, with genuine thanks in his eyes.

She had missed Cedrics funeral, but Ginny had packed all of their stuff. They were going home. She smiled. Home. Her parents. Time away from magic.

Time away from her friends…

She shook her head.

All too soon they got off the platform. Hermione turned around towards Fred.

"Promise me you'll write? And do send Errol please?"

Gladly." He smiled at her. " I'm going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too." She just stared at him, before she noticed two familiar heads scanning the crowed. "My parents are here, I have to go. I promise I'll visit." Before she could say anything more she gave him a proper kiss, on the lips, and walked away. He would see her soon. He knew it. But they missed each other already. They loved each other.


	4. Chapter 4

She did enjoy summer, but not as much as she would have had if she spent it all in the burrow.

She spent a month at home and the day finally came to head to the Weasley's. She said goodbye to her parents, telling her to be safe. She thanked merlin that they never heard of the happenings at Hogwarts or the encounters with you-know-who, because her parents would have never sent her back.

She jumped into the fireplace.

"The burrow!"

She stumbled out covered in soot, and a pair of hands grabbed her.

"George! How nice to see you!" she wrapped her arms around him.

"Its Fred 'mione" he held her tight so that she couldn't look at his face.

"You can't fool me. Now where's Fred?" she pulled away.

"Upstairs" George groaned. Hermione flew upstairs and knocked on the twin's door.

"George, I told you. My symptoms aren't gone yet. You have to be me for a bit longer. Hermione would-" he turned his head towards the door where Hermione stood.

"You should know that I can tell you two apart by now. She sat besides him, and turned his face towards hers.

"What did you do to yourself?!" she ran her hands over his face. It was purple and covered in lumps.

"Hermione-you should probably go. The side effects are… uh bit extreme."

"Where are they?" she said, standing up. He gave her a look. "Come on. I know this is part of the 'Skiving Snack box' scheme that you two were talking about on the train home."

"Can't get anything past you. But you really need to go now." He motioned towards the door.

"Fredrick Gideon weasley! Tell me where they are-" her shouting was interrupted by him jumping up and kissing her. Full on kissing her. She responded after a moment and they pulled apart. A faint smile in his face before he started shaking, dropping to the floor before passing out.

Worry flooded her as she felt for a pulse. He was in a peaceful sleep and she thanked merlin he was still breathing. She swung the door open and stood on the landing and shouted through the house.

"GEORGE! GET UP HERE. NOW!" soon the ginger came up the stairs. "Where are they? The Skiving Snack boxes?" he ran to the room and pulled a box from one of their drawers.

"How long has he had symptoms?"

"About two hours now. He keeps repeating the cycle. He should be purple in about two minutes," George said, looking at his watch. She grabbed one of the sweets and placed it on the floor.

 _"Diffindo!"_ the chocolate split into all of its original ingredients. She looked and immediately saw the problem. Aconite and honey were two ingredients in a very poisons potion, and would reverse the effects of any other ingredients.

"Get me wormwood now George." She demanded, vanishing all of the terrible ingredients as well as the snack box.

"Are you mad? Your going to kill him." Fred was starting to turn purple.

"Get it. He's going to go into a comma."

"Hermione I will not poison my own brother." He spoke defiantly. He didn't know that the potion he consumed had reverse effects. Giving something that would normally kill him would now save his life

"Then I will. _Accio wormwood"_ before George could stop her she was pouring it down his throat. He drew his wand and pointed it at the young witch while watching his brother.

Fred had just stopped. No longer purple or shaking, but still. Only movement being the heaving of his chest.

"George, put the wand down, he's going to be alright," Hermione crooned, holding her hands in front of her.

"You _killed_ him. How is that going to be alright?" he snarled.

"George, you just have to trust me. I would never harm Fred," she comforted.

"Trust you? You just poured pure death down my brothers throat!" he snarled, starting to move his wand " _baubill_ -'' she would never fire back at George, she was ready to accept it. She looked into his eyes, trying to convince him to not strike her with lightning. He never got to finish the spell as his ginger twin tackled him.

Hermione just slid down the wall, covering her face with her hands, and rubbing her temple.

"Never-and I repeat, _never_ use Aconite and honey together, ever, ever again."

"Oh my Hermione, I'm so sorry, I thought-I almost." He shook his head incredulously.

"George-its fine. I would have done the same thing too. You were looking out for your brother. We're all fine." She sighed, standing up and walking towards the door.

"By the way, what exactly were you two up to that caused this?"

"We were trying-"

"To make puking pestles-"

"But with longer lasting effects." That explains the honey.

"So we experimented-"

"With what we normally use-"

"And things that strengthen potions."

"Now though, we realize-"

"That all of their effects made massive symptoms."

"Like turning purple-"

"Or creating lumpy boils-"

"Or making the user-"

"More courageous-"

"And impulsive." And that explained the kiss.

She shook her head and kissed Fred on the cheek before walking out of the room, leaving behind a guilty weasley and a love struck one,

"Your whipped mate."

"I ought to whip you-you almost killed my girlfriend!"

"Girlfriend, eh?"

"Sod off."

Later on they were all downstairs, Arthur and molly talking in hushed tones, and then it was decided, whatever it meant, that they were leaving tonight.

Everyone started packing, Hermione done in a matter of minutes. They all gathered back downstairs and used the floo to grimuald place. It was disgusting, and as soon as they landed crookshanks dashed of after a herd of rats. Someone turned the corner.

"Sirius!" Hermione cheered, giving him a small hug. He was like the fun uncle.

Soon they were led to their rooms. Ginny and Hermione shared a room across from Fred and Georges, while Ron and harry were staying at the end of the hallway. They were supposed to clean their rooms, but Hermione was the only one who had ever payed any attention in charms. She stood in the middle of the room and flicked her wand.

 _"_ _Scourgify!"_ the room became a swirling dust cloud and it was hard to breath for a moment before finally the room cleared. The room was actually quite charming. A delicate floral wallpaper and two iron framed beds. White frilly sheets and two closets.

"Hermione-that was wonderful. Were free for the rest of the day. They sat and were talking about summer for only about a half an hour before Fred burst in feigning illness.

"So bored-need to prank." Before flopping down onto Hermione's bed.

"Wait-how are you two finished so quickly?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Maybe someone should pay more attention in charms" she chuckled, knowing that the two boys preferred blowing up professor flitwicks books rather than reading them.

"'Mione, would you be a dear and help Georgie and me clean our room?" he pouted, she wanted to reprimand him for not taking his classes seriously, but couldn't resist.

"Fine"

The room was clean in a matter of minutes.

"Thank you granger. Know anything else useful? Perhaps about, hmmm…lets say, hmmm…our snack boxes?" George smiled; she internally rolled her eyes at the two brothers.

"No! I am not helping you two with those horrid things! Fred could have been seriously hurt!

"But love," she felt her façade melt away as he slowly approached her "if we try again, we might hurt ourselves." She rolled her eyes. And he pouted, holding her hands and swaying them slightly.

"Bloody twins" she rolled her eyes and headed towards the door and turned around "fine."

"You are one love sick puppy." George murmured at Fred.

The next few weeks went on as normal. The twins believed they had perfected the pestles so they were no longer dangerous. However, her help did not make her immune to any pranks.

Her hair was green today, but she didn't bother screeching. She enjoyed the different colors after a while-but she would never tell the twins that. She was the first one awake no matter what, she would get the mail and read the paper before showering and getting dressed.

Most recently, she had been trying to make friends with kreacher, but he didn't like her very much, always mumbling on about being a mudblood or muggleborn.

She never took it offensively; it just made her miss her friends back at Hogwarts. She had made them summer clothes and was already prepared the books they would read, popcorn and movies.

It was that morning, with green hair, shorts and one of Fred's t-shirts on; she picked up a letter with the ministry seal.

"For those who it may concern" she read the text printed on the front of the letter. It concerned her that there was something to be concerned about.

She peeled it open and read it to herself.

 _For those who it may concern,_

 _Harry James potter has been expelled from Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry due to his performance of the patrounas charm in front of a Muggle. There shall be a court hearing in his defense tomorrow morning; we expect that he will have a case prepared by then._

 _Kindest regards,_

 _Amelia bones, ministry of magic._

She read it again, and again before sprinting up the stairs.

"SIRIUS! SIRIUS! ITS HARRY!" he stirred from his sleep and took the letter reading it word for word.

"Wake the others." He spoke with a calm seriousness that unnerved her.

She turned to see kreacher walking around mumbling to himself.

"Kreacher, go get the rest of the order. Bring them here. Now" the elf looked disrupted, but nonetheless did what he was told.

"Wake up!" she knocked on Fred and Georges door before barging in. the whole house was awake by then, except for them. She jumped onto Fred's bed, "wake up! Wake up! Blimey! _Aguamenti!"_ a jet of water streamed from her wand at Fred's sleeping body, then at Georges. Both of them sat up and were staring angrily at Hermione.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" they whined in unison.

"Harrys in trouble! Come on the whole house is up by now!"

She grabbed Fred's hand and drug him downstairs to see the order standing there.

It was decided that a group of five would go collect him.

Hermione, Ginny, Ron and the twins all sat in the stair well now.

Hermione was reading away, she had gone to the library inside of the home and apart from all of the dark magic books; there were a few on wizard laws.

She re read the same page five times. Using magic, under aged in front of a Muggle did not warrant him being expelled. "Its not right. They simply cant. It says it nowhere in 'Muggle laws and regulations'.

They all sat there until molly sent them to there rooms. Hermione was the first to hear Harrys voice and she practically fell down the stairs before throwing herself into his arms.

"Harry we were so worried. Sososososo worried. They cant kick you out I know it for a fact!" she hugged him tightly.

Sure, Fred and Hermione had there moments but he was jealous of harry in some strange way. Did she like him? He shook his head. Harry was gone the next morning and she waited patiently in the sitting room. Once she learned that harry could return to Hogwarts, she visibly relaxed.

It put him out a bit, but he wouldn't let it show. They were boarding the train tomorrow after all.

Harry and Sirius were having a talk the next morning.

"Harry, its time to go," she smiled, watching him watch out.

"Hermione, what are you up to?" she was genuinely surprised. She hadn't done anything to warrant that reaction. She gave a perplexed look at Sirius.

"Excuse me?"

"Hermione I know. Were more alike now than ever and Hermione I have to warn you-it doesn't get easier. You need to register as soon as possible." She nodded her head.

"thank you Sirius"

 **a/n- Forgot the disclaimer for the last few chapters, I in no way own harry potter. Also it'd be really helpful and very appreciated if you could leave a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I like writing long chapters-which explains a lot I guess. literally a lot. If you don't like long chapters you can skip, but I personally love them.**

 **harry potter belongs to me!...J.K...Rowling. get it? haha I'm funny. sadly harry potter doesn't belong to me. if it did there would be a lot less death. but enough of my rambling.**

They all entered the great hall in their dress robes. Fred and Ginny sandwiched Hermione, Ron across from her. Scowling. And besides him sat harry.

"As usual; Mr. Filch would-"

A tiny petite cough sounded from behind Dumbledore. Harry leaned across the table.

"She was at my hearing" Hermione needn't ask how she voted. It was obvious by the glare she was giving him that she did not get what she wanted.

The women wanted to make Hermione throw up. Vomit.

Everything was pink, head to toe. Umbridge would have gladly accepted one of the twins color changing capsules, so long as it made her pink. She could smell the cherry vanilla perfume from feet away, and Hermione gagged.

Everyone seamed to have a similar reaction. Even the slytherins. Who, usually, opposed the popular opinion.

Little did she know that tomorrow would get worse.

Hermione watched in shock as the small women babbled about how we wouldn't be using magic, just learning about it. When harry demanded to know why, he got a detention.

Detention wasn't new for harry, so she wasn't worried about his reputation. It was the principle of it.

Harry didn't agree with her. Detention. So far Hermione hadn't agreed with a thing the pink toad had said, and hated biting her tongue. Everyone was in the common room, Hermione next to Fred. Ron scowling. Why was he doing that? Did he not like Fred and me? She shook her head.

Then harry came in, his hand hidden in his pocket. Everyone thought it was normal, that he had a normal detention. But Hermione noticed that he kept on wincing. It seamed like every time he moved his arm… something happened to his hand. She stood up and pretended to fall, bumping hard on Harrys pocket.

His face contorted into pain.

"Let me see your hand." He lifted it up, giving her a 'what do you mean?' look.

"Your other hand." He slowly brought it from his pocket and held it out.

 _I must not tell lies_

Written in what appeared to be his own handwriting, carved into the back of his hand. He grimaced as Hermione lightly ran her finger across the cuts.

"When she has you wright lines, the quill writes with your own blood. I wrote it on the parchment but it appeared on my hand." Hermione gasped.

"That foul, small women!" Hermione shot up. Fred felt jealousy wave through him again. She cared so much about potter.

"Hermione, I'll be fine. I survived the killing curse, I can take a few scratches." A few chuckles came from the group but Hermione was mumbling to herself and retreating from the staircase.

She came down with a cauldron and a bowl, as well as several other ingredients. Everyone watched as the witch silently whipped up a potion, it came out and smelled of lavender and mint.

"Soak your hands, it should stop the pain. I'm afraid I don't have anything to stop the caring"

She was beautiful, brilliant, caring and kind. And he suddenly just wanted to snog her senseless. Show everyone that she was his and his only. But he would never, ever do that. Because he understood.

He understood how she felt when Ron commanded her around.

He knew she hated the feeling of being trapped.

And he also knew that she hated the idea of the man being in charge, and that there would be a full on fight-one that he wouldn't win.

So Fred smiled.

"You can pull your hands out now, if you'd like."

Harry nodded and removed his hands.

"How do they feel harry?" dean Thomas asked.

"They don't hurt terribly anymore, only a little sore. Cuts have closed and the bleedings stopped. Thank you Hermione." He smiled at her.

"Hermione, what was that?" George asked. He and his twin had the same ideas since they usually shared the same experiences. It would be a great product.

"A bit of Muggle medicine, some draught of peace and a charm that I made up. And a lot of dittany." She smiled. "Self made, thought it might come in handy after our third year" she twitted her thumbs.

"Could you teach us?"

"I would love to, I really would, but the charm isn't spoken. It just happens when I concentrate really hard" she sighed. "So its practically worthless." She sat next to Fred on the couch again. Their eyes had all focused on the bowl. Once a light blue, clear liquid, had now become a deep shade of scarlet.

"The redder it is the more pain was suffered" she looked at harry "I'm sorry. I wish I could do more"

She could be a healer. She would be a great healer, Fred thought to himself.

"Hermione, you've done splendidly."

The group all went to sleep but Hermione lay awake in her bed. That foul, short, pathetic witch. Hermione bet all of her galleons that the pink toad took pleasure knowing harry was in pain. She couldn't do it. She couldn't sit there and let the toad win. She grabbed a bag and started towards Fred and Georges dorm. They had plenty of stuff that she would need for this surprise.

She looked at the bottom of the stairs and pulled out her wand, tapping the first step.

 _"Vigilate!"_

Stepped onto the stairs. She had heard the twins talking about how they got into the girls dormitories, and knew that she could get into the boys room the same way.

She made it and knelt by Fred's bed. She picked up dye detonator, portable swamp and a few whiz-bangs. This should serve the toad right. Putting all the items in her bag, along with her wand, she stood up.

Placing the bag strap across her body, she outstretched her arms. She watched as her shadow went from a teenage girl to a tall, proud, bird. She squawked and flew through the common room, down the halls and towards her office. Harry was right; the room did have a horrible Pepto-Bismol coloring. She stretched her wings and soon became Hermione again.

She went to the closet; she knew that the old toad was sleeping in the room over. She cast a silencing spell on the room and got to work.

 _"Calvarias_ _manere!"_ she whispered multiple times, before everything in the room turned black. She put a dye detonator outside of the bedroom door, knowing full well everyone would appreciate seeing her in her natural form-toads head green.

" _Accio paintings!"_ all of the paintings flew towards her, one by one transfiguring each cat into rats before putting them back in their proper places. She left a swamp on the floor before pulling out a whiz-bang.

 _"Gemino!"_ umbridge was going to have a fun time with this. Anytime something touches it, spell or physical, it just multiplies. She lit it off before flying away. The fat lady looked at her, though still a bird, and winked. Yea, she had done it for harry, but she would have for anyone else.

Hermione sat up with a smile on her face, which everyone considered to be strange. She had been in a horrible mood last night. But know she was glowing, skipping, smiling, with everything she did.

It was a quiditch Saturday, so she pulled on a black sweater as well as a pair of dark jeans and knee length boots. She planned on staying with Fred most of the day and she wanted to look slightly presentable. She charmed her wavy hair, and shoved her wand in her boot.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Ginny asked. Hermione didn't usually look like this, or act like it at all.

"Just peachy."

They all headed back to the dining hall and were eating when they heard screaming from the professor's table. Gasps and fits of laughter filled the halls.

The pink toad came in stained green, covered in swamp, screaming all types of things.

"MY CATS ARE RATS! MY CATS ARE RATS!" she ran and jumped on the hufflepuff table running from a fleet of rodents were scrambling after her. She dove of the table as a _'hiss'_ ran through the hall.

"THEIR COMING! THEIR COMING!" a bright array of fireworks entered the great hall. The professors seamed to be enjoying themselves too; umbridge had caused hell in the few weeks of her being here.

"Dear, have you tried sopping them?" McGonagall said condescending.

"OFCOURSE! THEY JUST MULTIPLY!"

She huffed, hiding behind Snape.

"And you should see my office!" all of the students ran towards it, and instead of its usually pink, a roman gothic black took its place. The students were laughing so hard it brought them to tears.

Hermione was proud of herself, she did this! But no one would ever know. And to top it all off, because of the mess in the great hall, the elves created a pic nic. She didn't see any of them and felt bad for making them do extra work. She couldn't wait to see them, she missed them dearly.

She sat with Fred and Ginny on a pic nic blanket. Fred, however, had decided to lie down and used Hermione's lap as a pillow. She ran her hands through his soft, ginger hair and watched it shine in the sun.

He had never been this happy. Laying there, just looking up at the sky while she massaged his scalp.

"So Fred. How long did it take you to pull it off?" Ginny's voice broke his peace.

"What?"

"Oh c'mon. A swamp, fireworks. How did you get them to multiply like that? They closed the hall for the next three days just to make the fireworks stop."

"I've told you Ginny I didn't do it. I know it was well deserved and all but it kind of upstaged George and me's prank. we were planning to do tonight, and the odds of us being able to pull it off now are slim to none"

Hermione felt a pang of guilt. She ruined something for him. She never wanted to do that.

"What were you planning?" Hermione crooned as she twisted his hair in between her fingers. His eyes practically rolled back into his head after he stifled a small moan. He could stay here forever.

"To turn her office into an aquarium." She cursed herself, it was a brilliant idea. Obviously they been planning it for weeks when all she had done was random sporadic things.

"That would be brilliant Fred. I'll help you do it if you'd like? I hate that old toad."

"Its okay 'mione. Wouldn't want you to get into trouble." Oh if he only knew.

She started to worry a few days after her stunt. She hardly saw Dumbledore, and umbridge had started to sit in his place at the professor's table. Gradually new things, changes, started happening.

Acts, decrees and laws started to get passed. A dress code, no uses of magic in Hogwarts, simple things like that. Of course everyone was more than a little put out, especially Fred and George.

It was the next Saturday and she sat up, pulling on her weasley sweater and heading down to the fields. It appeared that a slytherin from the apposing team had fallen, and the boys, Fred and George, were snickering at him.

She came closer and saw him, she knew him well. Although a slytherin, he was a polite first year, who seamed to be unconscious. The team was laughing as she neared them, listening to the group.

"Fred! That was brilliant-testing the fainting fancies on him!" Hermione gasped. Those, and she knew it for a fact, were untested.

"And now he can't play in the match! They'll have to put a sub in for the seeker!" Angelina cheered. Her attention turned back to the boy.

He was having convulsions, but the team didn't notice him. She dashed over to him, and took her wand from her boot.

She felt for a pulse-slow but there. She held her wand over his chest, moving it back and forth slowly. The team was now focused on her, and her only.

" _Reparifors!"_ the boy stopped shaking and his pulse quickened, still asleep.

 _"Finite Incantatem!"_ she whispered, and he slowly opened his eyes, but was extremely pale. She helped him up and held his arm steadily before rushing away, never giving the team a second thought.

"Benny listen to me, are you okay?" the small boy nodded, before turning to throw up yet again. They had another flight of stairs and an entire corridor to go before the infirmary. She pointed her wand at the bile.

 _"_ _Scourgify"_. That was the third time and she couldn't help to feel bad for the first year.

They made it to the infirmary where pompfrey gave him a potion, saying he needed to rest. She felt bad and stayed by his side; the poor lad had just been harassed by a bunch of seventh years after all.

She was going to give hell to the twins. She had said time and time again not to test their products on first years, and this is why. It was like a ten year old picking on a toddler.

Fred was in a huddle, the group laughing so loudly that he never glanced in Hermione's direction.

"Fred! That was brilliant-testing the fainting fancies on him!" Alicia doubled over; he had to admit it was rather funny. He just offered the kid a sweet and bam-he was out cold. It never occurred to him that something could go wrong. After all there was nothing particularly harmful about them.

"And now he can't play in the match! They'll have to put a sub in for the seeker!" the tiny lad was fast, not as fast as harry, but instead of doing his job the bloke would just zip around the field, no one knew if he was looking for the snitch or just being a general distraction. The ignorant bloke had almost beaten them last time.

They never noticed Hermione until she pushed through them, the boy was twitching. That was definitely not supposed to happen. He watched her kneel in front of him.

 _If I were hurt would she do that for me?_

He shook his head, he couldn't be jealous of a bloody first year. When he came out of his reverie, Hermione had already passed him-and the boy was doubled over, puking on Hermione's shoes. She quickly cleaned it with a spell, not even flinching.

He stared at the back of her, proudly sporting her weasley sweater. That was until she realized the boy was shivering, who was only wearing the long sleeved undergarment for under his jersey, quickly shedding it and pulling it over his head. The boy clutched it and in the cold weather, she walked towards the school wearing a spaghetti strap tank top.

Fred went to hurry after her but madam hooch blew the whistle, and he was soaring through the air.

He looked for Hermione when he returned to the school, a proud smile on his face because of the Gryffindor win. But she wasn't in any of her normal spots, the common room, the great hall, and the library. He was walking down the halls towards the common room when she was coming towards him holding a blanket, the blanket that his mum made her.

She looked up from her feet and saw Fred, her expression not changing. He couldn't read if that was a good or a bad thing.

" 'Mione? Where were you during the match today? We won!" she whipped around at him so fast that he jumped, the excitement leaving his face.

"I was helping the poor boy you tricked! - He's been knocked out by madam pomfrey three times to stop the pain! He has a bloody concussion from falling off his broom."

"Listen, 'mione, let me ex-"

"No! Not another word!" her normally loving eyes were cold, "you were _laughing_ at him! You tricked him! He's had a serious reaction!" she was flailing her arms, the blanket whipping about; he didn't realize that she'd heard him.

"You know, I try to be so supportive of you and George and your products-but they are dangerous and you obviously have no concern for anyone's safety, nor have the good thought to ask someone to help you with them!" he watched tears come to her eyes.

Sure, they've had their small fights, but he had never ever made her cry. He went to hug her put she pushed him away and wriggled free from his grasp. Her arms were ice cold, still in the tank top. She walked away, wiping the tears from her face. She heard him walking behind her.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry, it will never happen again." He pleaded. Hermione stood frozen, her back to him, only seeing her bushy curls.

"I want to forgive you. I really do. But that's what Ron said. I can't do that to myself again." She thought she loved Ron. She cared endlessly about him but he constantly drug her down until it wasn't worth it. She couldn't do that to herself. It had taken her so long to get over it.

"I am nothing like my brother!" he growled. She turned around on her heels. He had no right to be angry.

"Are you blind? Your exactly like him!" she flailed her arms, dropping the lavender blanket to the floor. "You are wreck less! You trick people constantly! I can't love someone when I know they don't love me back." She grabbed her blanket and set off towards the infirmary.

His heart felt heavy and the all to familiar lump in his throat came back. He wanted to cry but he wouldn't. Because this wasn't something to cry over. They'd be okay. They had to be.

He started the slow walk towards the common room. For those minutes all his other problems faded. Umbridge. The prankster who out pranked him. Voldemort. The only thing on his mind was Hermione.

How she knew more than any seventh year on her first day.

How she saved his brother in their first year.

How she figured out what was inside of the chamber of secrets.

Their first real kiss, watching a movie with the house elves.

Drinking butter beer in the three broomsticks.

How she looked curled up in his lap with a book.

The way her hair smelled like lavender and honey.

They would be fine. They had to be.

Hermione walked away from him. She had to.

She wasn't going to let him win this time. She wasn't going to cave no matter how much she wanted to. She had asked him not to test on first years and he promised not to. But he lied.

It wouldn't have mattered to her much but she had been the first year. People had done that to her.

She remembered she was reading her book by the black lake when two seventh year slytherins tossed her in. a creature almost pulled her under. She made it out but lost her book, as well as getting hypothermia.

He just didn't understand. And he lied.

Just like Ron.

She sprinted towards the infirmary, remembering the blanket in her hand. Mrs. Weasley had made it for her, and she loved it dearly. The infirmary was full, each bed taken, presumably from the students trying to get rid of the remaining whiz-bangs. All of the blankets were taken by the time benny had gotten there.

She couldn't stand to see him cold. He had a rough day, and assumed that losing the match against Gryffindor would be 'his fault' in the eyes of his team, never wanting to admit they were the worst team of Hogwarts.

She draped it over his body. She remembered madam pomfrey's reason for him not getting a blanket.

"I've knocked him out. What does a person in a coma need with a blanket?"

She shrugged her shoulders and walked out, not even noticing it was after curfew, or caring. She walked the long way back and thought about Fred. It was simple.

She loved him. But she was angry, and he didn't understand why, or maybe he did, she never really let him explain. Last year was nerve wrecking, she wasn't going to lie. But it was fun. Wearing pajamas and watching movies, helping the twins with their potions, going to the Yule ball.

The twins. Fred was angry with her, so undoubtedly George would be too. George was practically her brother. She walked through the portrait, and started to open it. She couldn't do it. She stretched her hands out and quickly turned into red beak, she decided since Sirius was pad foot and all the marauders had names, she should get one too.

She flew around and finally reached the Owlery. She loved Errol; the messy little bird was comforting, and turned back into herself.

She came up here, usually with Fred. The bird burrowed into her stomach, she realized quickly that it was rather cold. She missed the warmth of her sweater.

She couldn't help but think about how the day could have gone. She would have cheered Fred while sporting her weasley sweater; she would kiss him and then wait for him to get changed. It was practically tradition.

After winning games they would get butter beer and then visit zonko's, before grabbing chocolate frogs and heading back to the grounds, and playing a game of exploding snap, before parting ways until dinner, so that George wouldn't feel left out, and so that Ron wouldn't throw a fit.

They would see each other after dinner, when it was beyond curfew, and would grab cookies and milk from the stocked cupboard before sitting by the fire and talking about everything yet nothing at the same time.

She fell asleep curled up with Errol, and woke up to him pecking her nose. It would have been funny, had she not realized how her night had gone before. She kissed the bird and on top of its small, soft head and wrapped it back up in her scarf, putting it into its cubby.

She stretched her arms into wings and flew to the windows outside of the girl's dormitory before sneaking in unnoticed and falling into the bed. She flopped her hand, no longer a wing, over to her trunk, pulling out a pair of black and white polka-doted fuzzy sweatpants and a red sweater. She slept until she heard the girls leave, planning to take something from Harrys room. She knew Fred would go to breakfast; he would look for her in a public setting so she wouldn't scream at him as much.

He did the same thing with his mum.

Once it was quiet she snuck up the stares and pulled the marauders map from Harrys trunk. He wouldn't be finding her anytime soon. She stuffed it into her pants pocket and skipped down the stairs, not bothering to change.

One place she and Fred had never been was the astronomy tower. Mainly because it was too cold and she claimed to be scared of it, when she really wasn't and would much rather cuddle in the library or the common room. She pulled out a blanket and her wand, as well as the map.

Fred was smart, and if he really wanted to find her, he could. But she would know when he was coming.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Just as she thought. Fred weasley was eating his breakfast.

She watched his name disappear through a tunnel towards honey dukes, and she packed up and made her way to the infirmary.

She walked up to the boy's bedside and talked to him, peaking at her map every now and then. She asked madam pomfrey and she said that the boy should be fine.

It was only their first month back at school, and problems other than Fred flooded her mind. Mainly because umbridge was there. Tensions were rising, as the students couldn't use magic, even though they all did in secret anyway.

Her frustrations were running high and she thought to herself, she should have let Fred explain. She just wanted the cuddling and talking and happiness back. He slipped up once. This is the first time she even remotely compared him to Ron.

She said some nasty things. How was she going to apologize? Maybe she just needed to show up. Thinking seamed illogical, and that scared her. She turned and opened the map; he was by the black lake. She ran towards her dorm and quickly threw on jeans and a light blue sweater, as well as her cloak shoving her wand in her boot. She started the journey to the lake.

Fred didn't here her come up behind her. He just felt her presence and slowly turned around. She didn't look mad, or sad, maybe a little nervous? She opened her mouth but closed it again, like a goldfish.

She took a step forward and threw her arms behind his neck and kissing him. It was a gentle kiss, barely there. He didn't even heave time to respond. She ran her hands down to his and held them, running her fingers over his knuckles.

"Fred, I am so sorry. I overreacted and I di-"

"I love you" she looked into his eyes, what a pleasant interruption.

But they were going to be okay.

"I'm sorry-" they both said in unison, and then shook their heads.

"Why are you sorry?" they were too in sync.

"I made the mistake" Hermione covered her mouth as Fred laughed. They were indeed in sync, one could argue almost as much as Fred and his twin.

She burrowed her head in his chest and his arms encircled her.

"So were good now?" Fred whispered on the top of her head. She didn't answer, but he felt her nod her head and he hummed pleasantly.

" 'Mione? Would you like to help me and George with our products, so that they are no longer dangerous?" he jutted his bottom lip out and made puppy dog eyes. She couldn't resist, besides she was going to suggest it anyway, she would be beside herself if Fred or George got hurt.

"Okay" he pecked her on the lips and grabbed her hand. "Are we going to get looks?" he shook his head.

"I only asked George to come and help. Where were you all day, anyways?" she looked guilty and pulled the marauders map out of her pocket, handing it to him.

"Avoiding you. Just me, red beak and Errol." She had told Fred about the name, that way they could plan things without saying 'then Hermione becomes an animagus'. He nodded his head.

"Why do you like our Rudy bird so much?"

"He's like a baby. How could you not like him?" they were walking up the hill towards the school when a boy came barreling towards them with something in his hands.

As he got closer she recognized him and smiled, it was benny, back to normal, she walked faster towards him and bent down to see what he wanted to say, he backed up slightly when she saw Fred.

"Umm… err I just wanted to thank you and return your things. Um also I wanted to warn you and your um…" he nodded towards Fred "that you shouldn't enter the Gryffindor common room through the painting…Draco is… well waiting and he's not very happy with um…" he nodded towards Fred, handing Hermione her blanket and her sweater back.

"Thank you benny." She gave the boy a light kiss on the cheek and watched him run up the hill.

"Does Fred get a kiss?" she loved her boyfriend-wait. They had never properly asked each other out. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned toward Fred looking him in the eyes.

"Fred, will you be my boyfriend?" she smiled.

"I thought we were?"

"I mean yeah but never properly." She drew circles on the back of his hand "so…will you?"

"Obviously Hermione."

"C'mon! Lets get back! Today is our first house elves meeting!"

Hermione grabbed her bag and stuffed it to the rim with copies of Dracula, the elves seamed to enjoy Frankenstein enough, and Dracula was similar. She brought popcorn for poppy and couldn't wait to see them. It was a half an hour past curfew when she left, using the map to make sure no one was watching.

She went to the portrait but it wouldn't open. She slipped a note behind it and hoped the elves would see it in the morning.

She woke up and threw on her school sweater, pushing the books into her undetectable extension charmed bag. She knocked on the portrait and heard several clinking noises. Questionable.

The door slowly swung open and Hermione's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach, looking at dobby. Scars had built up on his arms and his hands were rapped in cloth, once again wearing the old snot rags the Malfoy's had them in. she pushed past dobby and looked. The elves were locked in for the night. All of the elves looked like that, and the once well-decorated kitchen interior was stripped, just the appliances, a cupboard and sacks. The elves were sleeping in sacks.

"Dobby what happened?" she whispered, not wanting to startle the poor elf.

"We are not permitted to speak to our superiors mistress Hermione. We get punished when we speak to our superiors." Hermione pulled out her wand and her prefect badge, before storming out of the kitchen.

That foul loathsome evil little cockroach. She ought to hex the toads head clear off. She walked right through the great hall up to the professor's table. She had been enforcing rules for months. She avoided sending people to detention at all cost-but she couldn't just stand around knowing what she was doing to her friends. The house elves and students alike. She couldn't stand it to begin with-this was the straw that broke the donkeys back.

She stood in front of the toad and shoved her badge inside of the women's pink lemonade.

"I'm resigning," she growled. Raising an eyebrow she challenged umbridge to go against her. She wanted to fight the witch.

"And why would that be, dear?" her voice dripping with sugar. Hermione stood tall. After what she had done to the elves.

"Because you are a foul, small witch with a narrow life, enjoy making students miserable as well as what you did to those elves! You, are a toad and I dare say that if you treat the house elves like that again you can be sure your office will look similar to how it did only weeks ago." Hermione huffed, crossing her arms and awaiting her punishment. It was very un-Hermione like. But she was always stubborn, and did not appreciate the demining feeling umbridge had imprinted upon the school.

This was extremely un-Hermione like. But what umbridge had done wasn't fair.

"Detention miss granger" Hermione sneered at the women.

"Gladly." And stomped off and sat down next to Fred and Ginny. McGonagall would later congratulate her, and then tell her it gave everyone the idea that she was glutton for punishment. Which she replied that it was worth it. What she appreciated most however, was Snape's nod of approval. It was a united front against the toad and the ministry.

"What just happened?" Fred hissed. Apparently Hermione hadn't spoken that loud enough for the _entire_ hall to hear.

"I got detention." She didn't even flinch. Harry's mouth opened.

"Hermione! What did she do? We watched you stuff your badge in her lemonade."

Hermione's face grew red with anger and she turned towards the grandma in pink.

"She's been torturing the house elves. They've been beaten so badly they wont talk to their 'superiors'. We were equal, now they won't even look at me. Dobby's hands were ironed! They had whip marks for god's sake! I just-I cant take it. Look at Fred's hand." She picked it up and showed it to the group.

 _'I mustn't cause chaos' and 'I must not break rules'_ were engraved over each other into his hands. There was only so much that her healing elixir could do, and she had been making a lot of it lately, for all of the houses. She wasn't going to let umbridge win. The group gasped at the sight. It really was bad. But Hermione wasn't scared.

Her detention was that night. She made elixir already for her hands.

"Hello miss granger, you will be righting lines tonight. I'm sure you know what that means. Right what's on the board on this parchment" she lifted a pink feather from the table "with this quill."

Hermione turned her head to look at the board.

 _I mustn't associate with inferiors_

 _I mustn't cause chaos_

 _I mustn't disrespect superiors_

She took a deep breath. Writing slowly wasn't going to help anyone. Besides, she had bottled a few phoenix tears, and they, a secret ingredient in her elixir, would heel her just fine. But she did not want these lines on her hand.

A simple trick of eye. She grabbed the quill and took a deep breath.

 _I mustn't associate with foul toads_

 _I must cause chaos_

 _I must disrespect my superiors_

She wrote it quickly, the pain etching itself into the back of her hand. She screwed her face up in pain and felt sweat bead on her forehead. But she wasn't scared. Her mantra was 'this wont kill me-I've gone through worse'. Which was true, and calmed her down significantly.

You're doing it for them. The elves, harry, Ron, Fred and George.

She felt blood trickle out of one of the letters. She wrote faster, if anyone looked at her they would have thought that she had a quick wright quill-that was it. She stopped writing and closed her eyes. She slipped her bleeding hand down to her pocket and gripped her wand, aiming it at the quill.

 _"Snufflifors!"_ effectively changing the blood quill into a regular one, standing up and informing umbridge of her completion. She was heading towards the door, when umbridge coughed.

"Not so fast miss granger. Your detention isn't over" _what? Harry never said anything about something else…_ "You will be drinking vertaserum so that I know exactly what you've been up to." Hermione went to run but was frozen.

Fifteen minutes later she was sprinting back towards the Gryffindor common room. She couldn't stop telling the truth. She put her hand over her mouth and entered the portrait hole, taking out the tears and pouring them over her hand. She wasn't drying because of the pain. But she was an open book-no secret anymore.

"Hermione what happened?" Fred asked softly coming to her side.

"I can't stop telling the truth! Don't ask me anything…please" she went to head towards the girls dorms but was stopped by harry.

"Hermione, what did you do?" noticing the long lines on her hands.

"I changed the lines!" her hand instinctively shot out before she pulled it back towards her chest. "And I cant stop telling the truth and I'm the one who ruined her office and I switched her quill and I'm an a-" Fred's hand shot out and covered her mouth.

She was thankful that he did. She did not need everyone knowing about that. He pulled her up the stairs and tucked her into bed. He started walking away from her bed, assuming she was asleep.

"Love you 'mione"

"Love you too" he stopped dead in his tracks, and a bright smile came across his face. Sure, he and Hermione had told each other that they love one another, and he knew that when he said it, it was true. And now, he knew, when she said it, she truly meant it.

The next morning everyone had woken up, whispers of what happened to Hermione last night threw the corridors.

"Can you believe _she_ was the one to pull the stunt on umbridge?"

"Can you believe _she_ wrote lines different than what umbridge told her to?"

Sure, it felt cool that people knew she was behind the prank, but it definitely wasn't helping the retaliation against umbridge. It was two months later when the uprising began. Hermione was pacing the common room when the idea struck her like, well, like lightning.

"We need someone to teach us, because umbridge won't." Ron and Hermione's eyes met harry, who responded with a look of annoyance and an eye roll.

"I'll think about it"

That week was the first meeting of what, a name of Ginny's creation, would be called Dumbledore's army. This, because it is what the ministry fears most.

The first and foremost spell harry decided was disarming, a spell which most of them new but few had truly mastered. Ideally, the wand would fly far away or land in their own hand, but very few could do that.

Harry tasked her with trying to find valuable spells, so while he was teaching Hermione had come up with a lesson plan to provide the most necessary to the hardest, to prepare them for the most likely of scenarios to spells they were less likely to master.

"Ouch!" she looked up to see Fred holding his nose, the pointy end of Susan bone's wand had lodged itself in a most unfortunate place. The wand was removed Fred's nose was definitely out of line.

"You look like Snape, forge"

"Can it Gred!" Fred snapped. Hermione walked over to him, placing a hand on his cheek.

"Oh my-its broken!" she pulled his hand away after he repeatedly tried to cover it.

"Fred weasley, if you wont let me fix it I will call Lockhart in here and you can let him have a go at it!" Hermione screeched, and Fred quickly retracted his hand. There might not be bones in your nose-but he wouldn't put it past Lockhart and say he could easily be skull-less by the end of that encounter.

" _Episkey!"_ a snapping noise and a small yelp from Fred later, and his nose was back to normal. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before returning to her books.

"What would you do without her mate?"

The next time they met harry insisted on teaching them how to stun each other. Harry had them get into lines and the head of each line. She saw people whisper when more powerful members stepped up to bat.

This was one of the reasons she admired Luna. She stood there, radish earrings and all, with her wand at her side when Seamus stepped up. Seamus was no great wizard, but it was well know that his spells had a particularly nasty bite. Even the simplest spells turned explosive. Literally.

Harry gave them a mark and Seamus raised his wand, but before he could utter a word Luna had already sent him flying across the room, returning to her side without another word.

She calculated whom she was up against. Ron. This ought to be good.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you" Ron promised as he headed towards one end of the room. Hermione couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or had underestimated what she could do. Either way, this wasn't going to look good. For Ron at least.

"Thanks Ronald" she casually replied, heading towards the opposite side of the room.

"I betcha he won't even last a second" Fred whispered from the side of his mouth towards his twin.

"Your on". They both knew that Ron wasn't going to come out on top, but George had some hope that their youngest brother would last a little more than a second.

"Come on Ron!"

"Yeah Ron"

"Good luck Ron!"

The girls just chuckled. Not all of them were friends or even liked Hermione, but she _was_ the brightest witch of their age-and Ronald barley kept his eyes open in umbridge's lectures. Though, no one could blame him.

Harry nodded, and Ron had barely even opened his moth when-

 _"Stuplify!"_ the ginger flew across the room and landed roughly on his back while Hermione headed towards her friends and giggled, turning towards Fred with mirth in her eyes.

Fred outstretched his hand and felt the coolness of a coin being pressed into his palm.

"Thank you"

"Shut it"

Fred returned, looking only slightly embarrassed, deciding to pass it off as "I let her do that. Good manners and all." Yeah right.

In the next two weeks the room of requirement was filled with floating kids and flying wands.

 _"Levi corpus!"_

 _"Expeliamas!"_

Other than being active members in Dumbledore's army, which was discretely running under the nose of the school (and the inquisitorial squad), the twins needed mischief that could be recognized. So they decided to target filch-must to Hermione's disliking.

"Fred! Filch has nothing to do with the matter. You leave him alone!"

"But 'mione he's trying to find us!"

"Has he yet?"

"Well no but-"

"And haven't you caused him enough problems over the years? Wasn't it only a month ago when you sent Hagrid's dog after miss Norris?" he gulped.

"'Mione please" he jutted his bottom lip out. That bugger was playing dirty; he knew she couldn't turn him down.

"Well…" she fiddled with his long tie. "If you really want to, but I was thinking we could just head to the astronomy tower…" she glared up at him innocently. "But if you insist, I can't refuse." She tugged the tie until he was level with her, placing a quick kiss on his lips before sauntering off.

"Um-George." he choked out, gulping "I don't think I wanna-I'm gonna go get-"

"Your whipped mate."

"Am not"

"Are too"

"Am not"

"Prove it"

And so the day afterwards, when filch was covered in pus filled boils, and Hermione was ignoring a slightly guilty looking Fred, there wasn't much left up for the imagination.

Other than the light moods for the upcoming holidays, though most were going to miss having DA meetings, Neville had mastered disarming, and it was like a proud family celebrating an achievement.

George, who was shaken awake by Ron, who was shaken awake by Ginny, who was shaken awake by McGonagall, shook Fred awake. Their father had been attacked.

It was all a blur really. Harry had a vision, and in it there was a snake attacking Mr. Weasley, something Harry couldn't seam to get Dumbledore, or anyone else for that matter, to understand.

Someone was sent to find his or her father. A painting was sent to Grimuald place to alert the order. It felt like hours. Ginny was in between Fred and his brother, while Ron sat with his head in his hands on a chair.

"Found him Albus, and just in time too. They think he's going to make it."

Think? Their father's life lay on some odd balls ability to think. Dumbledore sent them all home early saying that the elves had already sent back their things and that they would be taking a port key. They soon disappeared and harry was dragged towards the dungeons. The last thought on anyone's mind was Hermione.

Who had a very poor reaction to all of this. She woke up and Ginny was nowhere to be found. The twins weren't in the corner slipping things into people's morning tea. Harry and Ron weren't waiting for her to take her to breakfast. Perhaps they wanted to get an early start. She slipped her clothes on and walked to the great hall.

There were no gingers at the Gryffindor table, and the boy who lived was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they were out on the pitch, it happened on occasion that they would sneak out and play in makeshift teams. She waited until the hall filled, but they were nowhere to be seen. Worry filled Hermione and she quickly found herself near Dumbledore's office.

He always changed the password, but it was always some form of sweet.

"Acid Pops! Bat's Blood Soup! Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans! Blood-flavored lollipops! Cauldron Cakes! Charm Chocolate! Choco balls! Chocolate Cauldrons!" she rattled of all the sweets she could, it seamed hopeless.

"Exploding bon bons!" she felt a slight rumble and watched the griffin turn in the stairwell, hopping on and eagerly waiting for it to finish the accent. She dashed towards the door and knocked impatiently. Soon McGonagall opened the door.

"Done already sever-miss granger what are you doing here?" she looked puzzled, but Hermione didn't bother to answer. She rushed past her favorite teacher, towards the headmaster. She gave Fawkes a brief nod, before coming to Dumbledore's desk.

"Sir, they're missing! Harry and the Weasley's, their go-"

"I know miss granger."

"You know?" Hermione asked incredulously "what do you mean."

"I suppose I should tell you, you'll find out soon enough anyway. Last night Mr. Potter had a vision, where Arthur weasley was being attacked. It turned to be true, and we gathered the Weasley's to send them home." A lump formed in her throat. "Don't worry child, he is doing well at St. mungos."

"Where is harry?"

"He is being trained to prevent any-unwanted visions to be seen." She nodded, and was soon dismissed to the great hall where she sat alone. She couldn't eat, she was too worried. Dumbledore was hiding something, something about harry.

She decided to focus all of her energy on Christmas presents, something that would be cheery enough to brighten the day. Harry hadn't come back yet so she could wrap the gifts.

She had gotten all of them something they hoped would cheer them up. In no time at all she found herself being greeted by the Weasley's at Grimuald place, getting suffocated by the ever dreaded hug of miss weasley while fred snickered at her in the corner, before placing a kiss on her forehead and ushering her into the living room.

Talk over dinner was light, and they all decided to let Arthur open his presents first. He appreciated hers; she had got him a Muggle computer with an enchanted box so he could use it.

"Hermione dear I love it! You'll have to show me how to use it after dessert!" he gave her an awkward hug because of his injury's but it was very sweet.

She had given molly a scrapbook that she had been making for months, which made the woman cry; instead of an awkward hug she received a bone crushing one. Ginny had received a pygmy puff, and she had given Ron a new Gryffindor scarf after the twins had set his old one on fire. She gave Charlie a small dragon that fit in the palm of his hand and flapped around, similar to the ones harry had pulled out of the bag during the triwizard tournament. She had gotten bill a simple hat, but it was appreciated. Harry was over the moon with the broom kit she had gotten him.

By then the room had started circulating and she gave tonk's and Remus their presents.

"Hermione how thoughtful! It can shape shift to fit when I change!" she went off to put it in her bag.

Remus opened his and she couldn't read his face.

"Its fine if you don't like it-I just heard that moonstone and phoenix tear make transformation less painful and help to relax you when, well you know." She gave him a weak smile and he quickly smiled up at her.

"Hermione, you have no idea how long I've been trying to find one of these, thank you!" he gave her a hug, one of the more comfortable ones of the evening. "However I do wonder where you got phoenix tear from, its awfully rare and usually very expensive" he gave her a perplexed glare.

"Believe me, it was not expensive, I have a friend." Yea, herself she thought. "And they knew how to get it" he nodded, not pushing her any further and left with another thank you before going to find tonks.

She wondered over to Sirius.

"Hermione, I've heard you've gotten into quite a bit of trouble at school lately." He smiled and raised his eyes. Her was like her fun uncle.

"Nothing I did wasn't justified." She smiled.

"I have no doubts about that. Harrys complained many times about umbridge, and I've heard plenty through Kinsley that umbridge wasn't exactly pleased when her office was demolished." He raised another eyebrow. "Congrats on that by the way."

"Thank you, and thank you for the book on animagus legality"

"Wouldn't want you to end up in a sticky situation dear. I've read that book a thousand times over so I can do it right when the time comes." He patted her on the shoulder, accepting the gift she was holding out for him.

"I have one myself and it comes in rather handy. Undetectable extension charm. You never know when, or how really, your going to want to travel." He gave her a knowing smile.

"Thank you Hermione, and thank you for looking out for harry" he pulled her into an embrace. She really loved today; she felt she had a big family. Minutes later she had made it over to Fred.

"Fred?" she called standing of in a corner, he rose and smiled dopily, walking towards her.

"Your whipped mate" George commented from his armchair.

"Oh, would you come here too George?" Hermione asked politely. The twins shared a questionable glance.

"Hermione darling, you know how I feel about sharing." Fred joked, though she felt an underlying tone of seriousness in his voice.

"Get your head out of the gutter. I wanted to give you two your presents _without_ your mother watching. She'd probably confiscate them immediately, so don't use them in front of her." She passed them their boxes.

Fred made note that they were different sizes, something that rarely happened, the twins usually got the same gift, or shared one, which they didn't mind.

George opened his first, and stared questioningly at it. He looked Hermione in the eyes and then back to the empty snow globe.

"Sydney Scully's spying snow globe. You whisper a persons name and shake it, and then it shows you what the person is doing. Here, watch" she took the snow globe from him and pressed her mouth close to the glass.

 _"Dolores Umbridge!"_ then wildly shaking it. It showed her sitting in a very pink room decorating a very pink Christmas tree with cat ornaments, and silently cursing the student, whomever it may be, who left a giant black ink stain on her carpet before placing a pink rug over the black ring. The image disappeared in a whirl of pink smoke before returning to an empty snow globe.

"That's bloody amazing granger! We can use it for all of our pra-" fred gave his brother a look that didn't go unnoticed by Hermione. "For all of our practical studying habits." He corrected himself.

"Open yours forge!" George encouraged.

Fred pealed back the red wrapping paper and removed a tattered playing card box, pulling out the cards and sorting through them. They appeared to be normal, non-moving cards, except for the fact that they were all face cards, but no kings, and didn't even seam to be from the same deck. He gave her an odd look.

"I thought you boys were the pranksters of Hogwarts, surely you know what these are?" she looked incredulously back and fourth between the twins. Hermione grasped the cards and a puff of smoke erupted from them, kings replaced the queens.

"Jack of clubs." The deck shuffled itself so the jack of clubs, or one of the jacks of clubs, was in the front.

The card bowed at Hermione before standing at attention.

"Down the lane to Ronald weasley!" the card disappeared in a puff of smoke and the rest of the cards started talking, but not in their voices.

"I am not putting on this sweater harry! Its ghastly!" Ron's voice chorused through the cards.

"Just do it for your mum you dolt." Harry replied scarily. It seamed weird hearing his voice through a deck of cards.

"Return!" Hermione commanded, and the jack of clubs flashed back to the pile.

"At ease." The cards ceased movement and she sent them back into their box.

"Walton Beckford's whispering cards." She handed it back to Fred.

"Wow. 'Mione where did you get these things?"

"Filches office." The two looked at each other, extremely amused.

"Hermione granger-"

"Breaking into a-"

"Office and-"

"Stealing?"

"This can't be Hermione." George looked closely at her. "Must be polyjuice potion. This is obviously not Hermione." He teased.

"You act as if I'm perfect. First year we broke about a doze rules and fought a weakened voldemort, then I was petrified by a basilisk, set a hippogriff free, helped free a believed to be death eater, even though there was never any real threat, last year I almost drowned in the black lake, I wrecked umbridge's office and stole from filch. Not to mention that I _did_ actually make polyjuice potion in my second year."

This revelation took them by surprise. Sure, it had always been there, they knew the golden trio was always up to something, but putting it together they realized Hermione, harry and Ron had probably broken twice as many school rules as they had.

She turned to her right and watched George shake his snow globe, and Snape appeared. He looked to be dancing- oh my, he was at the ministry's Christmas party. George doubled over and was howling with laughter. "I could kiss you Hermione!" he cheered, but she felt a protective arm around her waist.

"But you wont-after all I am the better looking twin-right 'mione?" Fred smiled at her and George walked off, but not without muttering 'whipped' under his breath.

"Oh, I got you this too." She handed him a bundled up packaging, removing it to find a sweater almost identical to the Gryffindor one he had, except for it had the emblem of the house on the back as well as a beater bat.

"Hermione, you didn't have to-"

"Don't you start. Those things from filches office were nothing, I needed to _actually_ get you something" she giggled and kissed him thoroughly. There would never be a need for mistletoe between the two of them. They pulled apart and Fred pulled a long velvet box from his pocket. She opened it to reveal a thin gold-chained necklace with a 'w' charm on the end. Tears came to her eyes, and she flung her arms around Fred.

"Its beautiful! Thank you." And you can be sure that when they returned to the table for dessert they both had very swollen lips, were blushing feverishly, and Ginny definitely noticed the necklace that hung proudly around Hermione's neck.

Vacation came to an end all to soon, and Hermione was sent to get harry. She told him it was time to go, and Sirius gave her a knowing glance.

"Hermione I strongly encourage you to play your cards close to your chest-anything they can find to send you to Azkaban _will_ and I repeat _will_ be used against you."

The ride to Hogwarts was solemn. If they could have spent all of their time at grimuald place, with their family, they would have.

This was what Hermione thought about when she closed her eyes, her head in Fred's lap. His hands running through her bushy hair. The only glimmer of hope was Dumbledore's army; they would be learning how to cast the patrounas charm at their next meeting.

Hermione and Fred were walking towards the castle when Colin creavy whispered something into her ear-and suddenly she perked up. She let go of his hand without a word and shot over to his right, whispering something to Ron. He perked up and her heard shouting from ahead of him.

"Hagrid's back! Hagrid's back!" and they shot past him once more, running off the grounds. He worried about her sometimes, being a muggleborn and friends with harry potter. She threw herself into dangerous situations constantly-without even thinking about her own safety. She hadn't done something so horrible yet-but he had to prepare himself for the worst. He didn't want to leave her side, not now, not ever.

Happiness flooded him when he thought of his happiest memory, his first quiditch game with George. A hyena burst from the end of his wand and a brilliant glimmering smile captured his face, watching it run around the room, subsequently knocking Hermione's books over. Dumbledore's army was always exciting; no matter what umbridge was doing to stop it.

But she wasn't watching the books, she was laughing freely at an otter, swimming around in the room. He wasn't paying attention to where his hyena was until Hermione's otter dashed away, because his hyena was chasing it. They bound around the room freely.

Hermione's was swirling around delicately, avoiding Ginny's horse, George's coyote, Harry's stag and Luna's hare. George's coyote, conveniently, was chasing around a dove, which seamed to be staying near Katie bell.

Fred's hyena, however, was not so gentle. It knocked over Ron, as well as George and he was so off in his own world that it almost knocked him over. The room was filled with glowing blue-white light.

And then it happened. The chandelier shook. Stomping could be heard. Then the wall exploded. And everyone was dragged out. Their names were taken off of the sign up sheet, and were all ushered to their houses. It seamed however, that harry and Hermione were missing. He searched frantically for her but to no avail.

Hermione hissed in pain as they, her, harry, and Cho chang were dragged towards Dumbledore's office. If Percy let go of her so help him merlin because she would have beat the canary creams out of him. The filthy traitor.

Dumbledore was taking the blame. But then she heard it-Fawkes. The flap of his feathers. Dumbledore was up to something.

"You seam to be under the notion that I'm going to, what is it, come easily? Well I'll tell you this-I have no intention of going to Azkaban." He sneered, now standing behind his desk-putting a few feet between the minister and his goons and himself.

"You will stop this immediately" and then poof, in a ball of fire Fawkes had swooped down and then both the bird and its owner were gone in a ball of flame. Though Dumbledore escaped his punishment, the students had not escaped theirs. The night before they were supposed to have detention, she made the healing elixir and passed it out among the houses.

They sat in rows.

' _I mustn't defile the ministry'_ written on their hands. Hermione had written hers fast, like the first time. But the toad said that was the chicken's way out and had her switch hands. She couldn't write quick enough with her left hand, and the letters were sloppy and she had to scratch the letters out. Harry was squeezing his hand so hard the quill snapped, and Ron-who hadn't had this detention yet hadn't even gotten through the second word.

Fred and George only scowled at the woman, writing the new line on the parchment.

Soon detention was over-the only one in the army who didn't have to do it-was Cho. The insufferable snitch. No one would talk to her-or at least not anytime soon. They were all just going to go to the common room and relax when the trio, as per usual, was nowhere to be found.

Hermione couldn't help but be fascinated by gorp. He was massive, a gentle giant. Even when he scooped her up he wasn't horrible. His hands were soft-not callused. She noted that his nails were filed perfectly, and she assumed that Hagrid must do that. His skin was a tad bit dirty but he was surprisingly clean for someone tethered to a tree. She also assumed Hagrid might have something to do with that.

She didn't like how he was tethered, but he had enough distant to feed himself, and he was just a baby, so it seamed justified. She was in a trance like state. They all made to return to the common room, except for harry, who unfortunately, had to study with Snape.

Fred had been heading towards the common room after looking for the three missing Gryffindor's when they stumbled across a first year from their house, sobbing and holding his hand to his chest. Fred hadn't poured the elixir onto his own hand, so he fished it out for the first year. The twins sat beside him and started to comfort him.

"What's your name" Fred asked calmly, holding out his hand so he could see the younger boys wound.

"Michael" he replied, pulling his hand from his chest as Fred started opening the bottle.

"Yeah its going to be fine" Fred replied, pouring the liquid on the boys cuts.

"Yes, its not as bad as it seams" George replied "see, its healing already" and indeed it was, it was no longer a bleeding, open, wound.

"You can hardy see ours anymore" they said in unison, showing them their lightly scarred hands.

"And the pain stops after a while" and that was true, yes it was a _while_ but it wasn't forever.

"Eh hem, as I told you before Mr. Potter, naughty children deserve to be punished." They all shot a look at the pink toad, Fred and George instinctively coming to stand behind harry.

"You know George, I've always felt our futures lay outside the world of academic achievement"

"Fred, I've been thinking exactly the same thing"

And then they sent their plan into motion. They've been drawing it out for months. They had finally finished thanks to Hermione's Christmas gifts. They planned it for the next day. George told him that Hermione needed to know. But he just couldn't. He couldn't tell her.

Its not like he didn't have the opportunity. They spent the majority of the day together; after all, it was a testing week. No classes, only testing. Hermione had just left for her charms O.W.L'S when they packed their things, shrinking them into pocket size.

"Ready fred?"

"Ready George"

They came flying in on their brooms, tossing fireworks left and right. Hermione made eye contact, but what she saw was strange, she saw excitement and sadness. Something was wrong but she couldn't place it, so she nodded her head encouragingly and cheered.

They set of an enormous whiz-bang that took shape of a dragon, it flew after umbridge and they all ran out towards the courtyard. He saw Hermione, for what unknowingly would be the last time for a while, setting of a 'w' firework identical to her necklace.

Harry fell. He was having a vision.

"Sirius" and now they were here. Flying on thestrals towards the ministry. Umbridge was gone. The very last thing on any of their minds. Dumbledore's army members surrounded her. Luna, Neville, Ginny, Ron and harry. They entered the department of mystery's to find dozens of crystal balls.

Sirius was nowhere insight.

"Harry…" Hermione called. A masked figure was approaching the group. It was a strange thought, but she wished Fred were here. He was a calming presence, especially after a success like that. She absentmindedly fiddled with her necklace. The noise was drowned out. She felt calm, Zen. She shook her head.

"Now!"

 _"Stuplify!"_

 _"Stuplify!"_

 _"Stuplify!"_

And then it all went to hell. Running, screaming. Hermione had never heard one spell more times. As she ran down an isle she passed Luna.

 _"Levi corpus!"_ the blonde shouted. A crash was heard in the distance, followed by a thud and shattering crystal.

She passed Neville, who had just petrified a death eater. They all crashed into each other, and she saw a herd coming. With a flick of her wand they went stumbling back, and crystal balls started falling left and right.

The death eaters were close behind and everyone eyed the young ginger headed girl.

 _"REDUCTO!"_ and the only thing that any of them saw after that was collapsing orbs of blue light. They ran, they ran fast and out of the first door they saw. They were falling, falling fast. If Fred were here he'd make fun of her for being scared, she wasn't going to be scared. She laughed.

She laughed at the ridiculous of it. It was like Alice in wonderland. She was just falling.

And the ground kept getting closer. But she couldn't stop laughing. And then they came to a halt a foot before the ground, properly slowing their momentum, before dropping them to the ground.

"Do you here the voices?"

"What voices harry? Its just an empty archway?"

"No-I hear them too" Luna replied, as the two made their way closer to the empty archway.

"Guys" Ron whined. A swoosh of air surrounded them and they all backed around harry.

 _Why is it always us?_ She thought. _It is kind of funny actually._

But then it wasn't funny anymore. She felt a pull and everything went dusty black. She soon found herself standing on a rock, at the wrong end of someone's wand. She had hers in her hand-but she wasn't going to test the mans reflexes. She struggled but ultimately the fear overtook her.

She couldn't hear the words that harry and Lucius Malfoy exchanged. But she saw him hand over the orb and a sickening sneer plagued the older mans face. A flash of white light. And another. Another. Two more.

It was full on fighting. Mad eye, tonks, Kinsley, lupin and Sirius were fighting death eaters. She, Luna, Ginny, Neville and Ron were all shooting spells from behind a rock. Tonks had demanded that they stay there.

The death eaters were flying left and right, tonks, moody and lupin had all stopped the death eater they were battling with. That's when she saw it.

Hermione had studied strategy multiple times. If you can Apparate and disarm another opposed to you, you not only have removed yourself from a threat, and removed another. But you had to do it quickly.

So when she saw Bellatrix look and see Sirius standing, guard down and watched her begin to Apparate. Hermione spread her arms, which turned into wings and flew at Sirius. She hoped to merlin this worked. Dumbledore had done it. So could she. Her talons grabbed Sirius's arm and the first thing that came to mind was the burrow. She felt like her body was on fire as she heard a loud pop. She opened her eyes to see that they were sitting down on the grass. She quickly turned back into herself and looked at a coughing Sirius.

"Harry" he grabbed her hand and apperated them back to the archway. No one was there but a door was left open that led outside of the strange room. Sirius had already sped ahead of her and was inside just in time to see that voldemort had disappeared, and harry lying on the ground. He started towards his godson but Hermione grabbed his arm.

"You know you cant. Those are ministry officials. I'll get him to you as soon as I can, I promise." He nodded his head.

"I'll never be able to thank you enough." He stepped back and apperated, sparring a last glance at harry. Harry was being pulled to when she got into stride with the headmaster.

"He's alive. And harry needs to see him." Dumbledore nodded.

"We were very luck that _Fawkes_ was there to save him, aren't we?"

"Yes, we were." Dumbledore was the smartest man she'd ever known, and she was endlessly grateful for his support. She gave him a glance of appreciation and joined her friends.

"I can't believe he's gone." Ron choked.

"But he's not."

"Hermione," Ginny stroked her arm. "He's gone. Its okay."

"He's _not_ gone"

"Would you like to lay down?" Luna offered, Neville nodding his head in agreement.

"He _isn't_ gone! He's _alive!_ " the group moped around, other than Hermione who was unbothered. Ron snapped his head in her direction.

"How are you fine with this?" Ron snarled.

"Because he's _not_ dead." And that's how the group continued. They got back to the common room and Hermione just wanted to take a nap. Preferably on the couch with Fred playing with her hair. She walked towards Katie bell when she couldn't find him.

"Katie, have you seen fred?" she asked politely.

"You think your really funny don't you." Katie snapped.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, what she said in no way warranted that action. She just wanted to know where her boyfriend was.

"They left." The look that struck Hermione's face made Katie understand.

"Oh my, oh you didn't know!" the older girl wrapped her arms around Hermione. "That jerk! He told me you knew. When I get my-" Hermione shook the older girl.

"Its okay, Katie. Really, its fine." She choked back the tears before rushing up the stairs to pack her things and then go to bed. She should have expected this. Were all weasley boys like this? Ron was. Fred was. It _seamed_ like George had the decency to tell Katie. God knows Percy didn't have any dignity. She'd never met the two older weasley brothers but the streak was _not_ in their favor. The next few weeks before summer holiday were torture.

The train ride back was grim. Harry was slightly happier now that he knew Sirius was alive. Ron had apologized about calling her mad. But Fred wasn't there. Not that it upset her. If he didn't have the decency to tell her he was leaving then he would not have made this better.

He would have made her happy, and made her feel loved and made her laugh-no. no he wouldn't have.

When she got off the train, she saw the herd of gingers. Including Fred. It pained her to walk away from him when all she really wanted to do was throw her at him. His eyes scanned the crowd but he never saw her. She took her things, forgoing any goodbyes and went to her parents.

Fred waited until the station was almost completely empty.

"You git! You said you told her!" George said, smacking his brother.

"I couldn't. I didn't want to make her sad." Fred frowned.

"Well you did" Ron said, walking towards his brother "she almost died and when she came back she wanted to see you."

"But no one was there" harry finished. And then remembering something "watch out for Katie bell. She caught wind of this and well um-expect hell."

"George, do I still have a girlfriend?"

"Technically yes, but also technically, you have a _mad_ girlfriend"


	6. Chapter 6

_**disclaimer-i don't own harry potter. i wish. please review! it means a lot and even though i haven't posted in a while I'm stockpiling the rest of this story so you should be expecting updates weekly. REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!**_

That was the longest summer ever. And she meant ever. She was alone at home, her parents off on business in America, something about the NDA, the national dentist association. She was alone at home for two months. Its not like it was boring however. Fred owled Hermione on the regular, but she never responded. Sometimes she didn't even open them. They got shoved in a shoebox under her closet. Errol seamed annoyed that he had to fly back and forth between the burrow. Sometimes Hermione let him stay the night and she even had a little box with blankets and owl pellets on her nightstand.

She also knew that it thoroughly annoyed Fred.

' _I'm not sure if your aware, but I think Errol likes you a tad more than me. Whenever I send you these letters he seams to perk up a bit. Then again, he also gets to spend nights with the wonderful, beautiful kind, loving, caring Hermione granger'_

All of his letters were buttering her up, trying to flatter her and beg for her forgiveness. The only other person she owled was Ginny. She wanted to purchase her own owl but that would involve a trip to Diagon alley, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to get that close. In his letters Fred said that they had bought a place for their joke shop in the alley, and the stores were more run down than usual. It would be dangerous with the raids and all.

But on June twenty second, a day she would remember for a long while, she decided she needed to get her own owl. Around midnight that morning, she walked out into the street and pointed her wand towards the ground. The ever so popular knight bus appeared before her eyes.

"Where will you be venturing to now doll?" Stan asked. Harry had been very descriptive, and by the man's half-hazard clothes and dirty face she knew who it had to be.

"The leaky cauldron please."

"You heard her Ernie-the leaky cauldron!" she laid down as they sped down the streets of New York, flying off her bed and smacking against the front door. She pulled herself up to see the sign, ad tom exciting the door. She turned and flipped two sickles towards the lanky man before dashing out.

"One room please!"

The next morning she woke up early. The twins shop was in the beginning process of its development and she had no qualms about the location of the infamous weasley brothers. She slipped her cloak on and pulled on a plain black sundress. It was a laundry day or else she would never have worn the thing. As of late she had a wand strap that she usually wore on her calves, but due to the dress it was strapped on her thigh.

She pulled on a pair of beaded sandals and let her hair drape over her shoulders. She didn't give a second thought to the necklace that hung around her neck; she hadn't taken it of since the battle of the department of mysteries. She grabbed her coin pouch and made her way to the alley, quickly walking towards Eeylops Owl Emporium. She hoped going so early would mean that the twins wouldn't be outside but she should have known better. Fred, and she knew it was Fred, was walking in her direction. Only then did she realize they would have to pass each other to get to their destinations.

They were a foot away from each other and she needed a plan. Should she walk with her head down? Turn into a store? That's what she would do. She turned into Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, but realized a presence behind her.

Damn it. She started to loop around the long store; every time she turned it appeared that Fred would see her. Her heart thumped in a weird sort of way. She didn't have feelings-couldn't have feelings for Fred weasley. It seamed like she had finally made her escape, Fred only an isle behind her, when a short and plump man stepped in front of her.

"My, haven't seen you in a while. What have you been up to dear!" Hermione loved the man, Mr. Jiggers, she really did, but she was in a rush. She coughed and lowered her voice a bit.

"Oh, um well sir."

"Hermione dear, are you alright?" the man spoke. She cursed herself internally as she heard something fall nearby. Hermione gulped, hearing footsteps behind her.

"Um-fine sir but I really must be going." She pulled her hood up and quickly made a way for the exit. In the reflection of the glass she saw a ginger moving quickly behind her. She opened the door and much to her pleasure the alley had filled up a bit more. Quickly trying to blend into the crowd.

Fred was so hopeful. He thought he saw her. It could have been Hermione. Even cloaked the figure was the right height and build. He lost the woman in the growing crowd. He quickly turned back to the man.

"Who was that you saw sir?"

"Hermione Granger. She seamed awfully upset about something. Just dashed out of here a moment ago" Fred shook his head, going out towards the crowd. Where would Hermione need to go?

Hermione was panting as she entered the store. She looked around and found a small Eastern Screech-Owl, quickly buying it and heading to leave the alley. She was headed towards the leaky cauldron when she heard voices walking round the street.

"George, I swear. It was Hermione. She's here!"

"Freddie-Hermione has been ignoring you all summer, why would she come here?" the boys were coming fast in her direction, hoping that luck would be on her side. She held the small owl cage high and bent forwards, trying to block her face.

"I know. And I know it's my fault. I just want to talk to her about it." Hermione's heart fluttered. But she could not. He hurt her so badly. She loved him, he left her. They were side by side when the little bird flapped in its cage. Hermione internally cursed herself and the ruddy bird. Fred turned around and saw the back of her cloak.

Please don't see me. Please don't see me.

And he didn't. Relief and remorse flooded her. But she pushed on. He had hurt her so bad before, if she let him back in who knew what he would do. She made her way home on the knight bus and took her bird home, which she appropriately named napoleon. He was a small bird with big personality. She took out a piece of parchment and began writing a letter to Ginny.

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _Today is the first day I've ventured back towards the wizarding world. I saw Fred and he almost found me. I still don't want to talk to him. Seeing him today made me so upset and I can't place why. The reason I was in Diagon alley today was to buy napoleon, which you've just met._

 _Please let me know when Fred and George move to the flat over the shop, I plan on coming and staying over if I'm still welcome. Please don't tell Fred that. It was hard enough to see him today._

 _Love, Hermione_

She set napoleon in his cage, tossing a towel over it so that he would fall asleep. She heard the bird stop moving around and laid down. She had a pair of shorts on and her weasley sweatshirt. She couldn't deny it. She still loved Fred.

The next morning she awoke to Errol banging on her window. The bird had grown a lot bigger over the summer. Today it held only a small note.

 _I know it was you. Why didn't you talk to me?_

She felt a rush of anger. She could her Fred's voice saying it. And it wasn't kind. Like it was her fault. So she pulled out a quill with parchment and began to write.

 _Because you left_

Fred would like to say he hadn't meant it the way shed taken it. He would love to say that. But it wasn't. He was angry with her; they could have stopped the problem right then and there. But she didn't want to. When he got the message back it was obvious that she was still upset.

The weeks went buy until only a month of summer holiday was left. Hermione was headed for the burrow that day and Ginny had sworn up and down that she wouldn't tell Fred a word and even if she had Fred very well knew she would just leave again. She packed all of her stuff and floo'd over. Ginny grabbed her into a tight embrace. Hermione's necklace was concealed by her shirt and they ran up to the girl's room.

"So, how's your summer been?"

"Just great Hermione! Other than being stuck with only Ron, you know. But when the family comes over we all play quiditch!" Hermione listened to her ramble on and then she sat up.

"Can I see napoleon? I've been saving up to get an owl and he seams perfect.

"Sure gin" she took out the small bird and handed it to her friend. "He was why I was in Diagon ally" she nodded at the bird.

"Speaking of Diagon alley, what's going to happen with you and Fred? He comes here once a week for dinner you know."

"I think it will be okay. I'm still really upset but I don't see why we should have to separate. It will happen eventually"

"Very mature."

"I try"

"What if he tries to talk to you alone?"

"He won't get the chance, because you're going to help me. If I'm not alone, or engaged in a conversation, he wont make it through." Ginny smiled. She was her best friend, Hermione knew Ginny didn't like keeping her away from her brother, but that's what her friend wanted so she would honor that.

The day finally came. It was a rainy, hot day in august. Hermione was wearing a flowy floral top and a pair of jean shorts as well as the boots that concealed her wand. She tucked the necklace bellow her shirt and smoothed out her hair.

When Ginny asked why she was dressed nicer than usual she replied that _'its not that I hate Fred, I'm just really upset with him. I'm allowed to look just a little nice for the first time we properly see each other in two months.'_ And that got Hermione thinking. She choked up a little.

"Gin-has he had any um-"

"I know what you're going to say, and no. Some girl tried to ask him and he said he had a girlfriend." Hermione blushed.

"Hermione, do you still have feelings for fred?"

"Is it that obvious?" Ginny sighed and nodded. "I can never not love fred. I'm just-I was so upset when he didn't tell me he was leaving. I'm not even sure why he didn't tell me." Hermione sighed, letting her eyes wander around the room. They fell on a playing card-oh he was in trouble.

Ginny was about to start talking when Hermione slapped her hand over Ginny's mouth, letting go and putting an index finger to her lips, Ginny nodded in a silent understanding. Hermione stood and grabbed the card that was whispering to herself.

On the other line Fred heard something he never though he would here. _I can never not love Fred_. He was lucky to listen in just then, and was distracted. _I…love Fred._ It was then that Hermione's voice came through, talking to him.

"Fredrick Gideon weasley! I thought you couldn't do any worse after leaving! Now you're spying on me?!" she sounded like she was choking back tears "I gave these to you so you could pull pranks or listen in on funny conversations! Never did I ever expect you to use them on me! You are foul Fred weasley! Absolutely foul!"

He gulped and now the cards spoke in their own voices.

"The queen of harts has been compromised!" Fred sighed. He was happy, or he was. And then the card had to go and get bloody caught. He forgot how smart Hermione was. And now he felt guilty. She trusted him and he let her down time and time again.

He was going to try to apologize at dinner tonight when he got an owl from Ginny-an owl he had never seen before. He assumed this owl was the one Hermione had in Diagon alley-he came to that conclusion with a little help from a certain deck of cards as well.

 _If you step foot in the burrow you will be hexed into oblivion. You better believe it. And if I see anymore of those bloody cards around so help you because I'm itching to try out a knee reversal hex. And I am not afraid to tell mum._

He looked at the letter…hex…knee reversal…mum. Oh lord he was in trouble. Merlin oh mighty. If he couldn't use the cards anymore he would just have to use something else. He hurried to George's room to find the snow globe. He had just picked it up and started to whisper in it-but as soon as he did George snatched it out of his hand.

"What the bloody-"

"No! _What the bloody_ are you doing? Do you want to kill me?" Fred stared at him stupidly. "You don't know what I'm on about? Here, read this lover boy." George pulled a scrunched up wad of paper from his pocket and shoved it towards his brother.

" _George,_

 _Please keep Fred away from your snow globe. If he gets his hand on it_ _you_ _will be held personally responsible and believe you me I've been reading all about hexes over the summer and you will be reduced to a puddle in mere seconds!_

 _Love, Hermione"_ Fred read the letter aloud.

"And let me tell you brother-I will not be a puddle anytime soon."

"C'mon-how could she catch us?"

"Lets think-Hermione granger, smartest witch of our generation oh, and the fact that I don't need a real reason because this is mine and I am not becoming a puddle!"

His heart sank. He tried everything. She said she still loved him. All he really needed to do was get to her and apologize. But he had a feeling that Hermione would find a way out of it-or he would be smite on the spot. He flopped back onto his bed. How was he going to do it?

A week went by without seeing or hearing from Fred. But it hurt. She had gotten the tiniest taste of what it had been like in the past.

It was two weeks after seeing Hermione when it happened. Fred was shopping in gambol and japes, it was probably wrong but they often went to other joke shops to find inspiration, but zonkos was running out of ideas. He picked up a small box and then the room went black and he reached for his wand.

 _"confingo!"_ he turned and a blue flash of light burst through the dark room, and he was thrown to the ground, then darkness. He heard noise and behind his eyelids it seamed to get lighter but he couldn't move- he felt the crushing weight on his legs and couldn't move. It was one of the first big raids. Not just demolishing some storefronts, snatching one or two wizards.

He hadn't told George where he was going-but Hermione knew instantly. She was reading on her bed in the room she shared with Ginny, when her bedside nightstand shook, the only drawer flying open and a playing card dashing out.

"Our king has fallen! Prisoners released!" the queen of hearts shouted. Hermione stood up and ran out of the house, she didn't explain anything as she ripped through molly Weasley's kitchen.

"Hermione jean granger! What are you doing tearing up my kitchen!" molly shrieked. Hermione's eyes were burning with tears and she couldn't swallow the lump in her throat.

"Its fred." And that was all she said, grabbing floo powder and heading to St. mungos. She didn't know what happened. The king has fallen? Is he dead? Is he injured? Tears were streaming down her face. A mediwizard was taking people in all sorts of directions. As soon as you stepped out of the fireplace people were handing out newspapers. She took one and ran to the desk.

"Fred weasley? I need to see Fred weasley!" the woman nodded and started looking through the papers on her desk, finally coming to one.

"Explosion ward, third floor, second corridor room three hundred ninety-four." Hermione nodded. She didn't even thank her. Her boyfriend. The person she loved, no matter what, she didn't care that he left, which would be forgiven. But if he left now. If he left forever. She couldn't forgive him for that; she couldn't forgive herself for that.

Three eighty-one. Three eighty-seven. Three ninety. Finally, three ninety-four. She flung the door open to see him lying on the bed. She couldn't bring herself to enter. His hair flopped down onto his face. She remembered insisting he get a haircut during umbridge's rain of terror, he decided not to which was fine with her. She liked playing with it or running her hands through it while they kissed. They hadn't kissed in two months.

His skin was as pale as the bed sheets that wrapped his body. She was familiar with the hospital rooms. For a long time she wanted to become a healer but she realized she could never bring herself to do that. She would see horrid things, like this for example. She would have to tell people what happened-and would have to tell them if their loved one died. She hoped with all her heart that it wouldn't happen in this room.

She walked slowly towards him; her knees were weak as she made her way over to the bedside, sitting on the empty space on the bed. She lifted his limp hand when a mediwitch came in.

"Miss, may I ask what happened? Is he going to be okay?" the witch looked at Hermione with sympathy in her eyes.

"As for what happened, I can only tell you that he is in a comma and has several broken bones-not what caused them. None of the injuries are life threatening, however it is uncertain _when_ or _if_ he will wake up. The papers are talking about what happened."

"Thank you" Hermione choked out. She looked at him and unrolled the paper, taking a deep breath before looking at the words.

 ** _Raids throughout Muggle and magical London!_**

 _Raids on Diagon alley and several towns of Muggle London took place only hours ago, there were a cluster of raids surrounding Heathsgate London, as well as one effort in_ _gambol and japes located In Diagon alley. Death eaters, suspected to be lead by escaped Azkaban prisoner Sirius black, killed a Muggle couple in their homes. Four Muggles were injured collateral as result of the attack. The raid in Diagon alley did not take any lives, severely injuring three customers in the joke shop. It is unknown of their conditions or status at this point._

 _Daily prophet writer Dan Phink._

Her parents. Her parents lived in Heathsgate. She ran down the hall to one of the people handing out the papers.

"I need the address of the Muggle couple!" the man looked at her and shook her head.

"Don't know it ma'am. Here's a picture of their house though." She let out a howl and dropped to her knees. She knew this house. The bricks, her bedroom window. The green front door and the brass doorknocker. Her house. Her parents. They were gone. All because of her. Because she was a muggleborn. A mudblood.

It was then that Ginny, harry, Arthur and molly came through the floo network. Hermione had tucked her head into her knees and was sobbing violently. Harry rushed over to her and picked her up, hugging her close to his chest.

"Gone. Their gone." That was all she could get out. Her chest was heaving and she couldn't breathe. "And its all my fault." Her parents. The parents that loved and supported her. The parents that told her to be safe and taught her that books are everything. Gone. Everything was gone. In the typical death eater style killing wasn't enough. The house was charred. She felt lost. Completely and utterly helpless-and that scared her into oblivion.

"Hermione, who's gone?" harry crooned into her hair, lightly swaying her, looking past her shoulder to the Weasley's, with the moment aril addition of George. He hadn't stopped to check on Hermione, instead going directly towards Fred's room. She couldn't blame him. Ron was nowhere to be seen but quite frankly she didn't give a hoot about where Ron was.

"My parents." She sobbed "and it's all my fault. I should've done something. I should've known they'd come after me. After my parents." She sobbed even harder now. She was inconsolable. Miss weasley came to her side and collected the young girl into her arms. It was welcoming, warm, and motherly.

Motherly. Her mother was gone. She didn't even remember what the last thing she said to them was, she recalled, trying to remember the looks on their faces, every wrinkle and crease, how her mothers bangs were choppy and split across her face, the jet black color, as well as her dads long smile and shiny teeth. They were obviously dentist.

"Listen to me dear, this is anything but your fault. Its those awful peoples, you did absolutely nothing wrong. There was nothing you could have done. Even if you had warned them, removed there memory's, sent them half way across the world, it wouldn't have stopped them." She kept her hold tight on Hermione but she could tell that molly wanted to go and see Fred.

"We can go see him." Hermione replied, understanding the mothers yearning to see her child. Molly squeezed her and allowed harry to hold her arm before heading in the general direction of Fred. Harry guided her towards Fred's room.

"She's right you know." Harry added. Hermione wanted to believe with all her heart that she couldn't have helped, or that it wasn't really her fault, but there was a reason that her house was targeted. And it wasn't because of her Muggle parents. It was because of her being a mudblood. Because she was the target.

She wanted to walk in and see Fred, she really did. But she couldn't. She was probably being selfish about the whole thing, Hermione told herself. But she couldn't see him. He looked to close to dead. She was riding an emotional roller coaster. She was angry at fred for leaving, scared she might lose someone she loved, relieved when she saw he was sort of okay, crippled when she lost her parents-she couldn't handle it.

"Harry I think I'm going to stay out here, I cant handle it right now."

"Are you sure?" she nodded her head. She slid down against the wall and put her hands between her legs. She wished she would be struck with lightning on the spot. Who could she confide in? None of the Weasley's. They wouldn't understand. The one person she _would_ talk to was in a comma. She couldn't do it. She got up and left.

She didn't really know where she was going. Just walking. She didn't want to go to the burrow. She just wanted to clear her head. She ended up at grimmuald place. She didn't know why. She had no connection there. She laid in the living room and stared at the ceiling fan, watching it go around in circles.

"Sickle for your thoughts?" she didn't jump in the slightest at Sirius's voice. If it were a death eater she would have begged for a quick and simple killing curse. As Sirius got closer he noticed her tear stained cheeks and her sullen removed eyes.

"What happened?" he sat on the coffee table and faced her on the couch. Had in not been such a serious situation it would have been ironic. It looked as if she was in therapy. Which she hated to admit she could've probably used.

"Death eater raids." Hermione sighed, her eyes filling with tears again. Sirius took her hand and squeezed it lightly, urging her to continue. "I was at the hospital visiting fred-he was attacked in gambol and japes, and then I read that a Muggle couple had been killed." She sighed, dragging her other hand down her face.

"Your parents?" she nodded solemnly. "I felt the same way when Lilly and James were killed. It feels like there's no real purpose anymore. At first I thought it was my fault, that I could have done something. ' _One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.'_ Dumbledore told me that in school, but I didn't really process it until they left. I believe that no matter what I did, thinking on it now, I couldn't have stopped it no matter how much I wanted to."

"And it got better?"

"It's a wound, but a wound that stops bleeding" he smiled at her. "And don't think about revenge. I did for the longest time-twelve years actually, and it made me none the wiser." She nodded. "I'll be right back." He came back moment's later holding two vials.

"Sleeping draught and a dreamless sleep. I know you don't want to my dear, but there's no need to stew on things that are in the past. Sleep helps." She accepted the potions and gulped them down, her eyelids feeling increasingly heavy. She felt a warm blanket being draped over her, and soon she fell into a peaceful slumber.

Fred was lying in the bed and he felt someone's presence, Hermione's by the voice. She was clutching his hand so much it was almost painful. But he felt happy. She cared about him. She was worried. He heard the rustle of paper and then felt her dashing out of the room. The happiness left. She obviously cared so much that she decided to leave. He wished he could just wake up, talk to her, anything.

It felt like years later, but he knew it was only realistically about five minutes.

"Hi-ya Freddie. Boy did you do a number on yourself" George said in a cheerier tone. It was refreshing hearing a voice actually talking to him. "Guess this means no more collecting ideas from gambol and japes. Hermione's out there. Real upset over something. Bet its you. When mum floo'd me he said that she tore through the kitchen to get to the fireplace. Surprised there weren't skid marks left on the floor" Fred laughed. Or at least, in his head laughed.

"Oh Fred!" he heard his mother rush in. he could practically feel her giving him a once over.

"Lay off the boy molly. Comparatively he got of better than the others."

Comparing? Comparing to what?

"I know. The poor girl." Molly replied.

"What are you talking about mum?" George asked. Just then harry entered.

"How is she holding up?"

Fred felt like yelling. He didn't understand-didn't they know that he could hear them?

"Well she's out in the hall, but she processing it logically." Harry replied. He would like to say she was handling it well but no one handles his or her parent's death well. She was processing it.

"Is that really a surprise?" Ginny questioned. It seamed to lighten the mood quite a bit. Even Fred felt it.

"She's not outside." Molly started panicking. Were could she be? They had honestly no idea. There were only so many places she could go. "Harry, Ginny would you please go look for her?" just then a shaggy black dog patrounas bound into the room.

"Don't worry, Hermione's here with me, I gave her some dreamless sleep and a sleep draught, she should be out for a while. You can decide what's best for her, but I think she's had enough alone time." Sirius's voice came from the dog before it turned to mist, having fulfilled its purpose.

Something happened to Hermione. His mind was racing. Hermione herself sounded physically fine-someone say what's happening, he pleaded. Time passed and the voices had left. He let himself slip into the darkness.

She woke up on Sirius's couch, her face burning from all the dried tears. Her parents. She stood up and realized how late it must have been. It was extremely dark outside, and upon turning around the room she saw the sleeping Weasley's around her and the black dog lying on the hearth.

She missed visiting Fred. She got up and headed towards the door. She heard someone move and quickly turned into her animagus form, bursting into flams and aparateing (something she had mastered over the summer) and landed outside of ST. mungos. They gladly let her in, remembering what happened in their floo lobby earlier. She walked towards Fred's door.

She resumed her position earlier, holding his hand in hers.

"I wish you were awake Fred."

He emerged from the blackness; a voice was outside of his body. Great-they were going to talk about nothing again. He realized however, that it was Hermione's voice. He struggled so hard to wake up. He wanted to know what was wrong.

"When my dad was in a comma, he was in a car accident after my first year, he stayed in it for two months. My mom thought maybe he could hear us or something, and he admitted when he awoke two months later that he could hear some things." She sighed. She wished he would wake up, so she could hug him, she loved him, and she couldn't lose another person she loved. "It all started this morning I guess. For you, at least. I read in the paper that there was a raid in gambol and japes-you were there. I told you to stop stealing ideas from other shops, you're smart enough to come up with your own ideas."

She had told him that, and he laughed to himself. He was in a comma and she was giving him 'I told you so's'.

"I obviously didn't-or I guess its not that obvious to you. Well I didn't get the paper till I got here to visit you. I know its stupid, but I kept the card that was spying on me. I didn't want to rip it up-I figured that I would give it back. It flew out of the drawer and said that the king had fallen. Meaning you. Its funny to imaging you as a king" she snickered. It was foreign to Fred. Hermione didn't snicker, she giggled or chuckled. She sounded so cynical and it scared him.

"So I rushed. Your mother scolded me-asked me why I was tearing up her kitchen. I left quickly though-would've gotten an earful from her." She snickered again. He wanted to wake up and make her laugh. But he was thankful that she talked to him.

"Well I got here-and well, you know how you are. I read the paper-actually here it is on the floor. Must've dropped it." That laugh. Oh if she would just stop it. He couldn't help but be frustrated at it. "Here I'll read it to you… "

 ** _Raids throughout Muggle and magical London!_**

 _Raids on Diagon alley and several towns of Muggle London took place only hours ago, there were a cluster of raids surrounding Heathsgate London, as well as one effort in_ _gambol and japes located In Diagon alley. Death eaters, suspected to be lead by escaped Azkaban prisoner Sirius black, killed a Muggle couple in their homes. Four Muggles were injured collateral as result of the attack. The raid in Diagon alley did not take any lives, severely injuring three customers in the joke shop. It is unknown of their conditions or status at this point._

 _Daily prophet writer Dan Phink._

"Obviously I was worried about you, but when I read the paper I just had to ask. My parent's home is in Heathsgate. I had to go back to the paperboy to get the address, but he gave me-he gave me a picture" Hermione started to choke up and all he wanted to do was hug her. "It was my house Fred. My parents-there gone." She slumped over his body, just crying, hysterically, but its not that he could blame her. She had no one and he knew it for a fact. Both of her parents were only children and her grandparents had passed away.

"Fred, I miss them, what am I going to do without them? Where am I going to go?" she mumbled into his stomach. "I'm leaving you know. I can't tell anyone because I know they'll try to stop me. But you are blood traitors because I'm a mudblood."

At that she got up and stretched her hands, soon flapping her wings and flying away. Fred didn't want to, but without the voices he was absorbed back into the darkness. Hermione landed on the doorstep of grimmuald place and sat, looking out at the small park across the street. She felt someone join her.

"Now, where were you off to? You can't be leaving us without telling us, you know?" Sirius said next to her. She appreciated him and he appreciated her.

"I just wanted to talk to Fred, alone. I'm worried about him"

"You can help him you know." She turned towards Sirius with a look of confusion-a look that had no place on Hermione's face; it was unnatural and slightly unsettling. "You're a phoenix. You know what that means." She felt like an idiot. She mentally smacked her self across the face. She pulled a vial from her bag-just like the one she had given to Sirius. It glinted in the moonlight. She hugged him and headed back inside. Ever the fun uncle, she felt like she had a real family here. That's why she had to go.

The next morning George woke up and felt something tied to his wrist. It was a small vial-about one sip would empty it, when he opened his hand a note rolled out.

 _George,_

 _I think we've established that I would never hurt Fred, or at least I hope we did. You need to trust me-this will wake him up right away, I wouldn't hurt him-I would never hurt someone I love. And when he asks, because I'm sure he will-please shows him this._

 _Thank you, Hermione_

George trusted her. After the incident were he almost killed her-which she reacted surprisingly well to-he would never doubt her. He didn't wait for anyone else to wake up-nor was he careful. He stumbled quickly to the fireplace, screaming and then arriving at , rushing to Fred's room. He opened his twin's mouth and poured in the potion.

Fred slowly moved and opened his eyes. He saw a blurry figure-it was ginger. Well, that narrowed it down to seven people. He doubted Percy would be there. He blinked his eyes a few more times and suddenly a spitting image of him came into view.

"Hermione's a bloody genius," George muttered as he assessed his brother. Hermione! Oh god Hermione!

"Where is she?" Fred demanded-trying to move but quickly realizing he was chained to his bed. A safety precaution, but one he wasn't appreciating at the moment.

"Oh, well I'm not really sure. She left me this though" George handed his brother the note with Hermione's delicate handwriting on it.

 _I think we've established that I would never hurt Fred, or at least I hope we did. You need to trust me-this will wake him up right away, I wouldn't hurt him-I would never hurt someone I love. And when he asks, because I'm sure he will-please show him this._

It was her goodbye. She loved him, and that sent him to the moon and back-but she left.

"When I was asleep-she said she was leaving." He started shaking his wrist. "Let me out George" he glared at his brother.

"Fred, you need to calm down. I'm sure she's safe."

"Listen to me, please George. You need to let me out, I could hear everything you were saying while I was asleep-she's leaving. She made it very clear. Did you hear her? How she was? She's not thinking straight George."

"She hardly talked to us-and I believe you're the one who's not thinking straight." Just then there was a loud commotion outside.

"She's in here-she has to be in here." It was harry, and as he flung the door open to Fred's room-his heart rouse to his throat. "George, have you seen Hermione? No one can find her and we're getting worried." Fred glared at George-who looked guilty and worried. He immediately unlocked his brother, who quickly slipped on clothes and ran out of the hospital. Where would Hermione go?

Hermione was aware that they were looking for her. She had tried to conjure her patrounas-but it was extremely impossible. Her wand would let out a small stream of blue light and then it would fade. So she started to walk. She had been prepared to leave for awhile-before her parents actually.

But not for the same reason. Every year harry, Ron and her encountered some type of danger, she knew that there was impending war-no doubt about it. She had stuff packed for harry and Ron too, but she needed to leave. She was putting them in danger as much as harry was. Hermione knew well and good that the target was Fred when the store in Diagon alley was attacked. She was sure the only reason he wasn't killed was because he was hidden under the rubble of the destroyed building. She wasn't trying to get herself killed. She was going away until she wasn't the primary source causing harm.

It sounded selfish and she knew it-but it was only logical. She felt confidant that harry and Ron would survive for a week until they saw her again. She was worried about fred- George would have definitely given him the potion, so now fred would be looking for her. He wouldn't find her though, because that's what she wanted. Even if he did know where she was, harry had packed his cloak and the map in her bag.

She knew the Weasley's would know she was safe because recently their names had been added to molly's clock. It had eleven settings; home, school, work, travelling, lost, hospital, prison, mortal peril, time to make tea, time to feed the chickens and your late.

She was headed towards school, but she didn't really intend on going in school-so her spoon wouldn't point towards school. Currently it showed her travelling-so as long as it wasn't pointed at hospital, prison or mortal peril they would know she was safe.

She began her flight over the Scottish highlands. The flight took her a day and she was tired, so when she landed on the ledge of the welcoming window, she felt right at home.

"Oi! Fawkes-is that you?" Hagrid stumbled over to the window, opening it and inviting Hermione, unknowingly, inside of his homely hut. "Blimey, I've never seen one of you other than Fawkes. Well, you can stay here as long as ye'd like. Ill have Dumbledore come here tomorrow, make sure your healthy." He held the bird on his arm, gently setting her onto a perch that was there from his old flibberflaw, a magical creature he taught about who was flying north, finding as much cold as he could.

The night drained on slowly. She didn't sleep-she just sat. Closing her eyes would bring back her parents. She had only imagined them screaming when she tried to sleep, not knowing what was happening when the dark figures entered their home. On the brighter side, the two death eaters had been captured-Rudolphus lestrange and Augustus Rookwood.

It was a dark thought, but if she ever saw them again, they would meet the same fate that had befallen her parents. She didn't give a damn if she would be locked up in Azkaban. Sirius told her not to think of revenge, but she wasn't thinking about it. She _knew_ it. It wasn't like she was seeking them out-but she wouldn't hesitate to use an unforgivable.

So she just sat. Thinking about her parents, Fred, the Weasley's, she looked around Hagrid's hut. Hagrid was important to her and the trio was important to him. She watched a picture dance over the hearth of his fire. It was a picture of the three waving goodbye on hogsmeade station, leaving after their second year. Soon the sun began to rise over the horizon lined with trees.

Hagrid came out and made breakfast, offering her some type of biscuit, which she happily accepted, though it was hard to eat with her beak.

"Well bird-o, I'm going to get Dumbledore. Would bring ya but you could fly away, so just wait here." Hagrid spoke as he left to head for the castle.

A half an hour later the door opened and Dumbledore entered in his normal, calm-but slightly unsettling, presence. He looked her in the eyes, he knew. It wasn't a surprise, he was brilliant. One of the best wizards of all time. He lifted her up and they were soon walking towards the woods.

"Its nice to see you redbeak, however it would be much easier to chat as Hermione granger." The birds nodding head soon turned into Hermione's. "Dear child-I've read the news. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you"

"I'm confused to why you're here, however. Your train of thoughts has seamed to derail."

"Oh…" she cleared her throat "well, my parents were attacked not only because I'm close with harry, but because I'm Muggle born" he nodded his head, that part made sense. "The only reason the Weasley's are blood traitors is because they associate with me, a deemed 'mudblood'." He nodded again. "And Fred was attacked. People are telling me it's not my fault-but they can't see it how I do. I can't stand and watch the people I love get hurt"

"Moral wounds are significantly more painful than mortal ones," he said, and she understood-they were probably worried.

"Losing someone causes a moral wound, correct?" he nodded his head "well I've already lost two of the most important people in my life. Never to see them again. If I survive and it's safe for them, to be around me-they'll see me."

"How do they know you're alive?"

"Miss Weasley's clock. I took any other means. I don't want them putting themselves in danger looking for me."

"What if they already are?"

"Better that they don't find me"

"What do you suppose the clock shows currently?" she blushed. She had taken Georges snow globe for a while after she caught Fred spying on her.

"Time to feed the chickens" she half heartedly laughed, "Hagrid has chickens. It makes sense." He nodded again. It was unsettling not having him talk "I've tried sending my patrounas, but well-happy memories are a little hard right now."

"Well, I know being a bird has to be uncomfortable. However-I do know a certain room in the school, that is not considered part of the school." He smiled, the twinkle in his eye.

"The room of requirement" Hermione answered. "But I have to go through the school to get in"

"We'll see" he Apparated them into the room of requirement. "I have my ways." The room had become a tiny apartment, complete with sleeping draught. Then she got an idea.

"Dobby?" a pop erupted and the house elf appeared.

"Mistress Hermione-I've heard of the bad news. What can dobby do?"

"Can you please tell harry that I'm safe?"

"Absolutely mistress weasley!"

And that was how her last week of summer went. She had looked at the clock again, recently. Currently she was at 'late' which she supposed she was-if it was referring to family dinner. She thought that her welcome back, if she ever went back, might not be welcoming and more of a scolding. But he called her mistress weasley. It was wrong, but it raised her mood.

 _ **did i mention that you should review? you should review. thanks for reading!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**disclaimer: i don't own harry potter. also i really want you to review-please!**_

"Hermione!" she turned around to see a ginger head as well as a black flash barreling towards her and was suddenly knocked down by the force, leaving her, harry and Ron in a big clump, she tried to sit up but they held her tightly.

"Hermione are you alright?"

"Why did you leave?"

"We were so worried!"

"So was mum-nearly had a heart attack!"

"Freds worried sick as well!"

"Told us to owl him as soon as we get the chance-telling him how you were."

"He's awake you know."

"Where have you been?"

"I mean-Dumbledore said you were safe but the mans standards aren't very high-we've had voldemort and a death eater as teachers."

"How'd you even get here?"

They both panted-having the wind knocked out of them from the fall, and possibly from the rapid fire questions that had just shot from their mouths.

"Whoa-slow down. I'm fine, I was causing too much danger, I'm sorry I worried you. I will owl Fred tonight. And I've been perfectly safe."

"You didn't answer how you got here?" before she had a chance to answer a paper hit the back of her head. She unrolled it-it was the wizard picture of her house in flames. She whipped her head around-Draco Malfoy. Before she even thought, she pulled out her wand.

" _Mora alotanti!_ " it was a spell she had created, he was flung back into the wall, then dragged up it-sticking to the ceiling and disappearing in the fake clouds. She sat turned back around. Ironically, the only people seamed to notice were the slytherins he was sitting. They stood up when Hermione peaked her wand out mouthing, "tell and you'll be next" when they sat down and shut up. The great hall emptied, Draco Malfoy soon forgotten. She set off to her dorm-which was empty. Dumbledore said that she had a good chance of graduating a year early, and encouraged her to study. She doubted that-and assumed it was because she had terrible mood swings. She had fought him when he originally made the statement-but she realized it was true. She acted irrationally and felt angry, sad and happy at the same time. She pulled out a piece of parchment and began to write.

 _Dear Fred,_

 _I'm sorry for scaring you but I just needed to get away. The reason you were_

 _Attacked was the same reason my parents were, me. I know your going to say_

 _Wrong, but I'm not. Do you think it was a coincidence? Besides, I'm here and safe._

 _I was told that you are awake-I miss you Fred. I'm sorry for this summer, I was_

 _Just hurt when you left like that-and I did the same thing. Could you hear me?_

 _While you were asleep? I always wandered if my dad could hear me when I_

 _Talked to him. Hogsmeade trips start next week-ill be in the three broomsticks_

 _Around twelve. Would love to see you there…_

 _-Love Hermione_

She pulled napoleon out of his cage and opened her window. "To fred weasley" and with that the bird flew out of the window, she smiled. The bird was trained-he could do flips and twists and she had taught him Morse code. Though sometimes he got his e's and his I's mixed up. A letter returned not moments later-and her bird looked normal. Suspicious. ' _See you then'_ was scrawled in his messy handwriting, then below, in the bottom corner of the page _'November Owen India'_. It was a trick she had taught him. The code was used in an American war- and death eaters wouldn't know it, it was an American Muggle history fact-something that the pure blood or even half blood wizards and witches wouldn't know. She had written on the bottom of her letter ' _bravo rio tango_ '. It was no doubt fred-but napoleon didn't look winded.

The next morning she heard whispers of help from the ceiling-and decided now was her shining moment. " _averte_ " and a certain white haired ferret fell from the ceiling, conveniently right back in his seat. She then mouthed "baby's tattle. Tell and you'll spend a week up there." His mouth clapped shut instantly. It was nine and she redid herself for her trip. Her mouth fell agape when she saw the sign.

 **GRAND OPENING OF WEASLEYS WIZARD WEEZES**

 **-HOGSMEADE-**

Her heart thumped and she sprinted for the store-fred! She saw him and ran, jumping on his back.

"Fred! Fred I've missed you!"

"Oi! Off Hermione, I'm George!" he turned.

"Dear lord. Where's Fred? You know you're identical from the back." He gave her a smirk.

"Upstairs. In his apartment." Her eyes widened, dashing to the backroom-a ladder? She climbed it-typical Weasley's. A charm was placed on it, as soon as she grabbed the ladder it pulled her up, revealing a very undetectable extension charmed attic. He appeared to be sleeping on the couch. But she didn't care. The last time she saw him he looked so…dead? A memory of her parents flashed by but she was brought back to earth when he gave a little whisper.

"Hermione" damn him. He was too cute-mumbling in his sleep. She ran and jumped onto him-he gave out a little yelp and couldn't see from his face down position.

"Oi! Get off me George, you know I'm trying to sleep."

"Not George." He turned around, and now she was awkwardly straddling him. He engulfed her in a tight embrace.

"Hermione" he kissed her hard on the lips, and she responded equally as hard-letting him explore her mouth his tongue, moaning a little and then biting his lip cheekily. They soon, unfortunately, came up for air. "I love you. So much. I'm so sorry and I just-I love you." She hugged him and he tucked his arms around her. They stayed like that for a while, there breathing became even and relaxed-soon falling into a peaceful slumber, the best sleep shed had in ages. She woke up to an orange sky and warmth, a blanket surrounding her.

"Afternoon" she turned to George, who was grinning at her.

"Sod off" she felt his chest vibrate as he said it. Gosh, she loved him. And this was how the weeks following went.

Study hard, finish work, owl Fred.

The weekends were amazing, dates and pic-nics and naps. It was so lovely. Sometimes she was sad, or even mad and he talked her out of the mood swings, and comforting her about her parents. She took him to slughorns Christmas party, and was going to the Weasley's for holiday.

She headed from kings cross with the clan, holding hands. Then he did it. It was snowing and he asked her to go for a walk. They sat in the back garden.

Fred and her were going to exchange their gifts in private, and she had just pulled out a neatly wrapped box when screams echoed through the fields, and Fred was pulling out a tiny box. Hermione didn't notice it as a ring of fire surrounded the burrow. He slipped it back into his pocket before she could notice. Black smoke appeared in front of her and Bellatrix lestrange twisted from the cloud of smoke.

" _Bombarda_!" she felt Freds hands on her and was pushed out of the way, falling to the cold ground before hearing a sickening slap of a body hitting the stonewall of the burrow.

"You bitch!" she sprinted out, just as harry had.

"I killed Sirius black! I killed Sirius black! Oh-is he coming to get me?" the woman taunted. Harry and Hermione as well as Ginny all ran after her, but they didn't know it. Hermione came to her first. "Scared mudblood?" she knew Sirius wasn't dead but the women in front of her was vile.

"Never. _Bombarda!_ " the witch was blown back. "Expeliarmus!" her wand flew towards Hermione. The witch sneered at her.

"Your too weak. You could never do it. Ever." The woman leered-lying on the ground.

Her wand hand shook and the women sneered. She saw her dark eyes flicker above her before she disappeared. She felt teeth sink into her neck and the world went black.

"He bit her-just like she did with Remus. She's going to turn tomorrow if she wakes up, where are we going to put her?"

"I say we kill her. No point in her being around anymore" a long voice drew out.

"Severus! We will do no such thing. I happen to know exactly were to put her." Ah, Sirius.

"Let me guess, the shrieking shack? Because that worked sooo well for moon monster over here." Ugh! She just wanted to strangle the greasy haired man.

"No-the room of requirement. If she needs a cage-it will give it to her"

"And what about Fred?"

"He's going to be fine. Just knocked out with a concussion of some sort."

"Who hit him?"

"Bellatrix." George answered, sounding extremely drained-I mean, his twin was hurt, how could he not be worried?

"Is that why Hermione went running after her?" someone must have nodded, or perhaps it was obvious. Her neck tingled and burned, and all too soon a shock went through her body, she felt something spread-like it was opening up her blood vessels-every single nerve, tissue- atom of her being tingled-her senses hyper-aware of her surroundings.

"My lord. She's-it's a miracle." Remus gasped.

"What? What's happened?" molly screeched.

"You see, because Hermione is Muggle born, she technically has no magic blood, and a werewolf is a magical creature-his bite was so minor that she may only have a few side effects-she'll always have that scar above her eyelid and on the back of her neck-but she wont turn. She will get extremely weak-but she won't turn, she might even get some characteristics of a werewolf, but she will never turn." Everyone sighed in relief. She heard a pop of apparition-Snape had left. She opened her eyes for real now-and it felt overwhelming. Her voice was non-existent, she felt thirsty and dead-she felt like she was being stabbed, and cried out in pain. "I must go-but keep her in a dark room, make her drink water and eat-but no talking." She felt lightheaded and fainted from the pain. The next time she remembered waking up was the second to last day of Christmas break.

When Hermione returned she soon realized that she had run out of reading material. So she headed to the room of requirement to find something interesting to read-when she heard sobs. She followed the sound to a pile of things, including a doubled over Draco Malfoy holding something in his hands, sobbing.

"Draco?" she whispered. He didn't turn to her.

"Get out of here mudblood."

"No. Draco what's wrong?"

"I said get out!" he screeched, turning around and letting the dead bird fall out of his hands, at the thud the bird made he broke down, Hermione rushing to him. He pushed her away at first but she hugged him tightly. The logical side of her asked _why? He's so mean to you-why are you treating him with such kindness?_ While her emotional side replied _because he needs someone. His friends wouldn't understand-just like her friends didn't understand how she felt about her parents._ She shushed him silently until his sobs subsided and he started to pull away from her.

"Draco, you don't need to tell me why. But if you want to tell me, I will listen. Everyone needs someone to listen." He didn't respond until much later.

"Why? Why do you even care?"

"Because Draco-I would like to think that having someone to talk to would make you feel better."

"I'm not going to tell you."

"That's alright. I'll tell you something then." She thought about what she was going to say-and then she found it. "You know Draco, I would like to think that I've never hurt someone so badly its unfixable." She sighed, her lips quivering slightly "but I've been getting so angry lately. It's really that no one understands me, people tell me that their sorry about my parents. I would like to think harry understands, because he lost his parents too, and I'm not saying that I'm worse-but I knew them. They were good people."

He merely nodded, looking deep in thought.

"And then they were killed, by two men. Rudolphus lestrange and Augustus Rookwood. I know you are related to her-but everyone has family members that they don't like" he did a half snort in understanding "and you want to know something Draco? I'm scared to death about saying this-I haven't admitted it to anyone. They all know, but I haven't spoken about it." She sobbed, and was kind of endeared that a flash of concern met his blue eyes, which she looked straight into as she said this "Draco, I almost killed her. And I don't feel bad about it." He stared at her, a mix of impressed, understanding and maybe concern. "Well, I mean, you don't really know the full story, and I'm not sure if I want to tell it honestly. I know you're probably mad at me, or really harry, Ron and I for what happened to your father-and I'm sorry. I hope you get to see him again on better circumstances." He looked down at his feet. "You know, Sirius black wasn't a death eater, to us he was family" his mouth fell into an understanding half smile. "And I saw her, she started to point her wand at him; to kill him, I did something that I didn't know would work for sure."

He snorted "Hermione granger? Not knowing something; its going to snow" she smiled, maybe he was feeling better. "Draco, he's not dead." Apparently he didn't know this, because his mouth fell open. "And you can tell that to whoever you want-and they will all think your crazy. When I saved him, everyone thought I went batty."

"How? How did you save him?"

"I'm not sure if I want to tell. I'm fine with you knowing-but other people are what I'm scared of."

"And why do you trust me?"

"Blind faith. I think you are a good person-not some horrible twerp who despises muggleborn. I think that's the environment you grew up in. if you want to know, I would like you to promise not to tell."

"How do you know I'm not lying?"

"Lets just say the consequences of it could have me living in close quarters with your father. So pinky promise?"

"What's a pinky promise? Like an unbreakable vow? We don't have another person here."

"We don't need one, and its nothing magical. It's a Muggle thing. Here" she said, grabbing his hand which tensed up "I don't bite you know; now look" she took his pinky and linked it with hers. "Do you promise?"

"I do."

"Then watch" she stretched her arms out, and quickly became the glorious bird of flames. He watched as the bird nodded his head and quickly became the bookworm once again.

"How many people know? Because that's brilliant."

"Just you and fred" he opened his mouth.

"Thank you for listening Draco. I feel better."

"Just to let you know-I'm not mad. Not about Bellatrix. I'm only a little sore about my father"

She nodded, helping him up and when the pause came, she exited the room, feeling much lighter than she ever had; and all because of Draco Malfoy. Little did she know what impact that conversation had on him. That was the reason he couldn't kill Dumbledore-why he didn't identify harry immediately, and why in the end, he didn't help voldemort. And also why he saved her life-twice.

The next day she made a friend. She didn't tell harry about her talk with Draco-she didn't tell anyone for that matter. So when harry attacked him with a strong spell, one made up by the so-called 'half blood prince' Draco was badly injured-almost died if Snape hadn't been there. He was unconscious for several days, but each day during the boy's quiditch practices, she would go visit him.

The first day was awkward. She didn't really know what to say. "I'm not sure if you can hear me. Ironically this is the third time I've talked to someone in a coma, I talked to my dad-he was in a car accident. Do you know what a car is? It's a type of Muggle invention-like a carriage maybe? But it runs on gas, which produces energy for the car to move. Its like a horse in that sense-that's it! Function of the horse, appearance of a carriage…kind of. They don't look _that_ much like carriages. Well anyway he was in the hospital for what felt like weeks. Then Fred was, for a death eater attack. That's when I left actually, I came here a week early-and no it wasn't because I love school that much; I just didn't want to put anyone in danger. Their kind of my family now, you know. And I got bit by fenir-but I'm not a werewolf. But I become extremely ill when I would end up being one, and other weird things-the hearing is great. Wow, I've been here for an hour. I've got to do harry and Ron's homework. Par for the course-that's a Muggle term too. It means the same as usual. Well, I'll see you soon-or you'll hear me soon."

And the next day went on "hey Draco. Its" she paused and checked her watch "eight o clock, I figured id tell you what happened at the quiditch match-your fill in seeker is god awful by the way. But you were playing against hufflepuff so it doesn't really matter all that much. Blaise knocked two girls out and then flirted with them afterwards, just to get pansy jealous I mean. I had a bit of a crush on him in my first year. I know slytherin loves Snape-but sometimes I just find him to be funny, especially when pranked. I don't know how Fred and George manage, but they turned Snape pink today. I know your going to play devils advocate and say ' _well, Hermione, they do sell products that do that and could have had someone slip it in his tea'_ but that couldn't be more wrong. He was umbridge pink, skin, clothes, and hair. No matter what he couldn't get it out. So when Fred and George's heads, floating heads, it's a new product that sends a ghost of you to a place, appeared in front of Snape, he was not happy. Quite the opposite actually. It was funny. He had slughorn teach his defense class too. Well, it's been an hour. So I'm off. Hear me tomorrow?"

"Afternoon Draco. Its hogsmeade weekend, brought you some sweets, not sure what you like… acid pops and Choco balls, a few cauldron cakes. You're not missing anything out here. Really sorry about what harry did to you, he just didn't know. Katie is feeling fine, by the way, if you were wondering. Nurse says you'll be up tomorrow. I wont be here anyway-harry needs help." And she told him where she went and what she did that day before saying goodnight.

She helped harry, and waited for him to come back…and waited…and waited. She heard screams of terror-and ran out of the common room, dragging Ron with her.

"Hermione you heard McGonagall! Lets go back!"

"I heard her. But harry needs-" she choked back a sob. Dumbledore was lying there dead. Dead! Dead on the ground. Harry returned, winded. He muttered something about Draco. After everyone raised their wands, they were ushered into the great hall; all of the teachers were there. But she needed to save him. She couldn't help it-she had a hero streak, and he could do something rash. She felt the tapestry and slipped behind it, pressing a slightly dirtier brick, and the walked through the wall. She was outside in the halls now. Where would he be? Maybe the room of requirement. She entered slowly, wand drawn. It was quite except for whispers, more like cries. She recognized them and ran, checking the corner to make sure no one was there, before dashing to him, collecting him in her arms.

"Shh. Shh…. Its alright." He sobbed. And she held him. "Draco-Draco you need to go. They're looking for you and they don't plan on being gentle. Get to safety-the truth will out later. Trust me." She stood him up and ushered him towards the vanishing cabinet. His hand was on the knob when he turned around, and pulled her head to his. His lips crashed down on hers and his tongue plunged into her mouth. She didn't respond and was a little disgusted at his behavior. It ended as soon as it began and he was soon gone into the cabinet. Later Hermione, harry and Ron were in the astronomy tower. It was decided that they wouldn't be coming back next year-and that they were going to finish whatever Dumbledore had started. It was going to be hard and trying-but when had it not been? How would she tell Fred; she-she just wouldn't do it. Couldn't do it. And that would be her last year at Hogwarts. The next day she and Ron were sent to the burrow-while harry had to go back to the dursley's. He was not to go outside-not until the wedding, bill and fluers wedding. The departure was painful, the train ride somber, and the separation pain staking.

"See you in three months harry"

 _ **the next chapter is going to be shorter-but i could lengthen it if you drop a review...thanks for reading!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: all i ask is for you to review, and acknowledge i don't own harry potter. this isn't the last chapter-and its going to get a little rocky just stick with me**_

Seventh year

The summer was horrible. It was horrible having to send harry away-Sirius was in hiding. The death eaters were everywere-everywere. Did she mention they were _everywhere?_ So when they were going to get harry it was her idea to do multiple Harry's. She helped brew the polyjuice potion much before. Yes, her ridiculously handsome boyfriend did distract her. Or at least that's what he called himself. The lake had become sort of their spot. They would lie and stare at the sky and just talk about everything and nothing at the same time. Sometimes he told her about wizarding things he did as children, pranks he pulled, and games he played. Sometimes she read him Muggle children stories, or told him what primary school was like, or shops in the Muggle world. It took her three days to explain a trampoline. But then it was time to collect harry. She pulled him outside and held his hands tightly.

"Fred, I love you so much. Please be safe-if anything happens to you, I just-stay away. Me, harry and Ron are going to be targeted tonight, and for a very long time. And tonight one of those nights, and I hope I see you again but-"

"Hermione, nothings going to happen. You can't think like that. I love you too, and I _will_ se you tonight." He gave her a weak smile knowing that anything could happen. Then it was time to go. Hermione had talked to them-she didn't need an escort. If something happened, whomever _she_ was with would be killed no matter what, and that if she needed to escape they would just 'slow her down'. And they were off. Hermione, Fred and George were in the cluster of Harrys. All wishing others good luck. Hermione had taken a courage potion, because she _was_ flying a broom. And they were off; Hermione was the first person to enter the cloud, or more like twister of death eaters. She didn't know who was behind her, but she knew who was in front. And he, Rudolph's lestrange, was flying in stride with her. There was discussion before hand of who was doing what. More experienced were to stay in the twister, while others weren't. Hermione was in the circle, as well as moody and dung, bill and fleur. The twins, though they wanted to, were great flyers, but didn't have experience fighting. Ron and tonks were to stay in the circle for a very short period of time, and Remus had left with George-Arthur with Fred. So now she was in the twister, she couldn't see moody, dung, bill or fleur. Curses were flying every witch way-and then she saw him, falling, and mad eye. Gryffindor courage-she pushed the front of her broom straight down. Push-she just needed to push. But the broom was weighing her down. She didn't see anyone else in the circle, so she jumped. Just jumped. She spread her arms out, turning into the phoenix. She caught him-his shoulders.

He wasn't heavy-not at all. But she could hold loads. So she did exactly what she did with Sirius, and landed in the burrow, but suddenly felt weak-the moon. It was so late the moon was coming out. So they fell from the sky, ten feet up. Hermione's ankle made a loud pop as she toppled over and mad eye just well did nothing. He must have been unconscious. She closed her eyes. She was weak. Incredibly weak. She tried to stand, drag herself to the door, or to mad eye. Her wand. It was in her back pocket. She reached back. What spell? What spell?

" _Avifors! Avis!_ " the birds shot from her wand to the burrow door. Arthur came running out, followed by bill and Fred.

"Hermione!" they gave her a confused look as to why she was lying in a pile of mud. She realized they hadn't seen mad eye.

"At least she's alive, we only lost one"

"No-mad eye" she croaked out, pointing in his direction. Then black. Then cold. She felt like she had no control over her body. There were two bodies next to her. One on her right, one on her left. Was she lying down? Yes-definitely lying down. The person to her right was talking-it was fred-fred! Was he hurt…no? Not Fred. As creepy as it was-it didn't smell like Fred. It smelled sweater-like chocolate. It had to be George. Maybe the other was mad eye.

"I don't know how she did it honestly."

"I know! We watched him fall, and Hermione was still on her broom."

"Whatever she did-thank god she did it."

"Yes, but look at her. Her ankle-and it's her wolf time. Just poor luck."

"Say fred-you know how she done it? Your closer to Hermione than all of us."

"I have an idea…but its her business." She kicked and moved; soon pair of hands were holding her head sill.

"She's fighting again. Knock 'er out."

"No! No stop knocking me out!" she whispered. The hands left her head and tilted her body up-it was Fred; and he pulled her into his chest, kissing her head. She looked down. Mad eye was sleeping-and George…he lost an ear! He lost an ear. She gasped in pain as her ankle moved. "Can I have-something to drink?" and as soon as she said it molly had given her a glass of water. She surveyed the room. Everyone minus Remus, with the new addition of Sirius.

"Hermione-tell us what happened. We need to know as much as we can. Now."

"I was throwing spells-and I saw him fall off his broom" she breathed, taking a sip of her water "I started to fly straight down, but it wasn't quick enough so I-"

"You jumped!" harry exclaimed, nervousness and shock painted across his face.

"I had to. In order to save him. You would have done the same thing."

"But how'd you get here?"

"I guess its about time you guys know what really happens." Hermione lifted her arms out and soon became the bird. She felt old and dead then she burst into flames, poking her head through the ashes until she realized she had just been reborn. She shook her body and turned back into the bookworm she always was. "I can Apparate in air, and I could hold him. And now we're-" and then black. The next time she woke she felt better and tonight was the wedding. She pulled her hair back into smooth curls and donned a red dress with matching heals. She came down the stairs and Fred wore some weird sort of pattern, but the both of them still matched. They walked out hand in hand and took all sorts of pictures. They were swaying, just like they had at the ball all those years ago, and Fred tried to twin switch. And then, like any family function you've got to have. When the announcement came that the ministry had fallen, all hell broke loose.

"Fred-I love you" she started crying and pressed a hard kiss to his lips when she felt arms pull her away. She wiped around to see harry-and then they were gone.

She didn't see Fred for a while after that, being on the run with harry and Ron. It was uneventful at best except for the snatchers and her time at Malfoy manor.

Fred however, was worried. Being cooped up at their safe house, a random flat in Muggle London, protected by any number of charms. They often looked at the newspapers, and the golden trio was always making headlines.

 ** _'Possible harry potter sighting in godrics hollow'_**

 ** _'Muggleborn breaks into gringotts and escapes on dragon back'_**

 ** _'List of undesirables'_**

 ** _'Xenophiles lovegood reports encounter with the trio, provides details about possible whereabouts'_**

 ** _'Undesirable #2 Hermione granger spotted'_**

Of course, this did nothing to improve his nerves. Potterwatch kept him sane, but it was hard to know if the information they were given was correct. Currently Hermione was supposedly in the Forrest of dean, Bixby Muggle London, or Paris. He rarely slept, his sleep fleeting and riddled with nightmares. His one solace was the ring he kept in his back pocket. The next time he saw her-she wouldn't be just girlfriend. She would be Fred Weasley's fiancé.

News spread that harry potter had returned to Hogwarts, lightning struck. He made his way so quickly. He saw Hermione across the room-she flourished in chaos. He could see the gears in her head turning. Hermione saw him and made eye contact-she dashed over and jumped into his arms. It felt so nice to have her in his arms again.

"Fred-I've missed you so much I lo-" and then they were kissing. It was heated but full of love. He pulled away to quickly and dropped down on one knee, pulling a box out of his back pocket.

"Hermione-I love you so much, and I cant fathom the thought of something…I just want you to be mine before-Hermione will you marry me?" he looked up at his girlfriend as she nodded her head, bending down and pulling his face to hers, kissing him again.

"Fred-I love you so much and I would be honored to be your fiancé, if anything happens today just-"

"Don't say it. Nothings going to happen."

"You can't promise that"

"But we can hope. I know this school better than anyone, and you're the smartest witch of your age. That has to count for something, right?" she nodded and looked towards where the rest of the order had gathered.

"Ready fred?" she held out her hand and he accepted it, she walked towards the group hand in hand with her fiancé.

Entering the great hall was bitter sweet. Her home wasn't really her home anymore. It felt unnatural- Snape standing at the front of the room. Harry stepped forward and stared down Snape. She felt Fred squeeze her hand, a movement that she returned.

"How dare you stand where he stood! Tell them how it happened that night. Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you! And killed him. Tell them!" harry shouted as Snape showed no perceivable emotion, his greasy black hair draped across his forehead. Snape raised his wand and just as quickly the others drew theirs. Hermione and Fred had broken their grip and were now pointing their wands at Snape as well as the equally as dangerous carrow twins.

The three death eaters were staring down the wands of the order, the Gryffindor house, as well as the staff. McGonagall showed no remorse as she rattled off spells, Snape deflecting them, killing his fellow death eaters as Minerva's spells rebounded. He twisted and in an instant he was out the door. Cheers echoed through the hall as McGonagall lit the candles before a bone rattling voice invaded the great hall.

 _"I know that many of you will want to fight, some of you even think that fighting is wise. But this is Foley. Give me harry potter, do this and none shall be harmed. Give me harry potter and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me harry potter and you will be rewarded."_ The young students need not know who the voice belonged to-as it was obvious. Screaming echoed through the great hall as voldemort invaded student's minds. _"You have one hour"_

All eyes were on harry. A nervous silence fell upon the room until pug face spoke up.

"What are you waiting for? Someone grab him!" before anyone got the idea Ginny put herself between harry and pansy, soon joined by Hermione and the patil twins, choc chang, the weasleys, including Percy who said upon entering 'never a better time to right a wrong than a war.' As well as Seamus and lavender. The silence was broken by Argus filch running into the large room, jogging with his knees high in the air and his cat tucked like a baby in his arms.

"Students out of bed! Students in the corridor!" the older professor responded with an eye roll.

"They are supposed to be out of bed you blithering idiot!" and it sounded as if an apology was muttered, "As it happens, Mr. Filch, your arrival was most opportune. If you would I would like you to escort and the rest of slitheryn house from the great hall." The man smiled peevishly…he had been wanting to hang students by there thumbs for the past month.

"Exactly where is it I will be leading them to?"

"The dungeons will do" another round of cheers erupted before chaos broke loose. They had one hour to prepare. Hermione ran to Fred, hoping they could stay together before Fred was whisked away by professor lupin.

"Granger-you need to help harry. You and fred can flirt later" Hermione chortled at his comment, but didn't get a chance to say anything else as Fred was torn from her.

"I love you!"

"I love you too!"

Hermione and Ron set out in a different direction than harry, heading to the chamber of secrets as fast as possible.

"You know Ron, I feel rather stupid right now." Ron turned and gave her a shocked look.

"Mione, now isn't the time to give up on your academics!" he yelled, winding through the bodies headed in the opposite direction.

"I mean, I've never been here. I completely missed this!"

"Consider yourself lucky. Lockhart still thinks I'm his cousin."

They had made it inside and Hermione held a tooth in her hand.

"You can do it" Ron encouraged, setting the cup down in front of her hand.

"I cant"

"Yes you can" Ron gave her a squeeze on her shoulders and she nodded. She lifted the tooth up.

 _If you kill me…you will loose the one you love most. If you kill me…your love shall die. If you kill me…you will never Mary._

She shook her head-the horcruxes always had this effect on her. She brought the tooth down and the cup skidded away, bleeding black. The water came crashing down and it slapped against her body, aw well as Ron's against her. They looked at each other when they felt the ground shake and screams erupt. Hermione tucked the tooth into her bag.

"Harry" they said at the same time before dashing out of the chamber. You could hear the chanting throughout the corridors.

"Protego maxima!"

They ran towards the spot where Harrys name was on the map.

"Vianto dury!"

His name disappeared, but she did see two names in the astronomy tower. Fred and George weasley.

"Repelum!" the ginger shouted before turning and looking at his mirror image. "You okay Freddie?"

"Yea" no. No he was not okay. Hermione, his fiancé, was god knows where doing merlin knows what and constantly skirting death.

"Me too"

Hermione had just ran into the room of requirement to see Draco, blaise and goyle pointing their wands at harry. She watched as the diadem flew from Harry's hand.

"Expeliarmus!" Draco's loaner wand flew into the air and blaise started firing spells at Ron while goyle concentrated on Hermione.

"Evada-"

"Stuplify!" he went flying back and she watched as Ron shot towards him, shouting something illegible. Hermione and harry scaled a large pile of chairs, furniture, suitcases and books.

"I've got it!" they jumped down, looking in the direction Ron had been running in. shouts came closer and closer as long as a orange glow and crackling. Ron came barreling around the corner and smacked into harry and Hermione, pulling them away from the opposite direction.

"Goyle set the bloody place on fire!" and that he did, a fiend fire was tearing through the room, only getting larger as it plowed into wooden objects. Then they saw brooms. Harry, Ron and Hermione shot through the air, all fear of flying forgotten as she sped towards the door, but something caught her eye. Draco Malfoy and blaise zabini standing atop a heap of things, staring at the river of fire bellow them.

"Harry!" she nodded towards the boys on top of the pile and Ron shouted about killing harry if they died saving Malfoy and one of his goons. The two had slipped and were now clinging to a dresser. Harry was the first in line and missed Draco's hand. Hermione followed suit and grabbed to the pale boys forearm, whipping him over the back of her broom and dashing towards the exit.

"Are you okay?" she asked just loud enough so he only he could hear her.

"As okay as I'll ever be. I owe you so much granger." She smiled. The boys would never know how kind Draco could be.

"Anything for a friend" was she really calling Draco her friend? She killed his aunt, and had been tortured by his mother-she would never be able to rid that night from her memory; mudblood carved into her arm. But Draco hadn't done that-Draco was her friend. She started to loose control of the broom as she headed towards the exit. They dropped and rolled out of the door, rolling into one of the million piles of rubble that littered the once breath-taking school. "Draco, you have to go" he nodded and started to dash off before he turned around.

"Thank you Hermione" she smiled. He sounded so sincere. She nodded and watched as his white hair disappeared around the corner.

"Hermione!" she turned to see harry holding the diadem. Ruffling through her bag she pulled out the basilisk fang and tossed it to the boy with the black hair, who stabbed the tiara. It too, bled black. Ron ran and kicked it into the flames, which were quickly condemned as the stone doors closed and turned back into a wall.

Harry collapsed, and his head twitched.

"Hermione, what's wrong with him?" Ron asked in a tone that was usually reserved for spiders and an angry molly weasley.

"Voldemort in his head. What do you see harry?"

"The snake. She's the last one."

"Where?"

"I don't know, I smelled wet wood."

"Look into his head harry. You can do it." He nodded as his head twisted, and a pained expression overtook his face. He snapped his eyes open and pulled his friends down the corridor.

"The boat house" they ran through the corridors and dodged spells.

"Evada ka-"

"Protego!"

"Arego-"

"Stuplify!"

"Crucio!"

"Evada kadavera!" Hermione yelled, not being able to watch Ron twist on the floor. She kept running to the courtyard, not daring to look at their expressions. They dodged spells and Hermione watched as Sirius killed Augustus Rookwood, and lupin stunned a spider before melting it. She didn't see the one twin she was looking for, but they made there way to the boathouse.

The voices were muffled from inside, but it wasn't hard to know who was talking. Thump, thump, thump. A body hit the back wall and Hermione could feel the wall shake as who she believed to be Snape was knocked against it. The tell tale crack of apparition signaled them to move in. Snape was dying, bleeding from the neck and covered in snakebites. Harry knelt next to the man, who was crying.

"Take them" his hand motioned towards the tears spilling from his left eye, "take them to the pensive" harry took the flask that Hermione offered him, and collected the tears of a man who he despised. "You have your mothers eyes"

As they were about to leave a voice came about the castle, and it chilled everyone to the bone.

 _"You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this, every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste, I therefore command my forces to retreat…dispose of your dead in their absence. Dispose of your dead with dignity._

 _"Harry potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself, there is no greater dishonor. Join me in the forbidden forest and accept your fate. If you do not do this I shall kill every last man, women and child who tries to conceal you from me"_

Hermione looked at harry, pleading him not to, before they trudged up to the great hall in silence. There was nothing to be said. They entered the great hall and Hermione searched for her fiancé. She looked and saw a circle of ginger hair standing in a semi-circle with their heads down. Hermione ran and saw a twin turn around. A twin with one ear. She cast her glance to the floor. He was smiling, eye closed, staying still. She ran to him and crumbled at his side, taking his hand and laying her head on his heart. Nothing.

"No! No Fred! You promised-remember. We were supposed to get married, you told me nothing would happen. You promised! We were going to have a spring wedding and everyone would be there, and you and George would set of fireworks!" she shook his body, tears pouring out of her eyes. "Wake up! This isn't funny! Stop it…this is a joke! Stop!" she was shaking his body violently, before arms-almost identical to Freds, pulled her against his chest. She was shaking violently and clutching to the ring in her hands.

"He promised. He got down on one knee and said that after today we would be together…. he proposed" she whimpered, but the silence in the room allowed the weasley family to hear what she said clearly. Suddenly loud shouts erupted from the courtyard.

"Harry potter is dead!" she ran towards the line of death eaters, and stopped when she saw a crumpled body in Hagrid's arms. Voldemort was talking but she didn't hear it.

"Draco-come on Draco" she turned to see the boy to her left. He shook his head, and voldemort turned to Lucius, who raised his wand and pointed it at his son.

"Evada" it was almost slow motion. Draco couldn't die-Hermione had nothing going for her. Fred was dead. She dashed and stood in front of him "kadavera" she spread her arms out and felt herself turn into a phoenix, clawing onto the boys shoulders and then tumbling out of the air around ten feet to the left, her apparition was weak. Gasps rung through the crowd as Hermione now shielded the white haired board. Narcissa had Apparated away, along with Lucius.

Running around the castle was fun. Three years ago, with Fred. Now, running down the corridors with Ron-and no possibility of seeing Fred again, it was grim. So when the snake was staring them down, she wasn't scared.

Yes, she was scared of the pain. But no, the thought of dying she was okay with. She didn't care either way. She and Ron slapped a pile of rocks and squished their eyes shut, watching as the snake launched into air-three feet away. Two feet away. One-

"Ahhhhhhh!" it killed Ron first-the slicing sound must have been its fangs cutting through his pale skin. She waited patiently for the sweet death that would rain upon her-worried about the pain but welcomed at the thought of death. But it didn't happen. She opened her eyes to see black smoke and a severed snake head lying feet from her-Neville longbottom standing with the sword of Gryffindor in his hand, panting. Ron was staring at the snake's head. Gears turned in Hermione's head. That was the last horcrux.

"Harry!" Hermione stood and ran towards the courtyard just as voldemort's wand flew into the hand of harry and his body gradually flaked-blowing into the wind. They had won. Hermione sprinted over to her best friend-her brother and hugged him as tight as possible, feeling a body crash into them that she identified as Ron. They were tightly bound for a moment when they all seamed to realize…

"Ginny!"

"Fred…"

"Lavender!"

They all ran to the great hall. Harry soon found Ginny, who was standing with the other weasleys around Fred's body. Hermione joined George on the floor, holding Freds hand feeling the fresh hot tears pour from her eyes. Seeing Fred lying there started to affect George. He was throwing up nonstop and was dragged away by madam pomfrey under the rouse that it would be a quick check up. Everyone's back was to Hermione and Fred, giving her as much privacy as she needed. Hermione had her head on his chest and was openly crying, when she felt a shiver.

People shiver when they cry, it was Hermione shaking. Lord she was already going crazy.

She pulled herself from Fred's chest and took his hand, feeling it squeeze back. God she was insane.

Brushing her hand against his face she felt something so small, hot and wet, roll onto her hand. A tear. She wasn't crying on him…George's tears would have dried…

His eyes flickered.

"Percy!" the boy whipped around to Hermione, obviously upset. He hadn't told anyone what happened to Fred.

"How."

"Hermione, I don't want to talk about it; it doesn't matter now." She stood up and gave him a glare that could kill anyone. She gripped her wand in her hand, daring him to ignore her. And the pompous ass did. "Was it a curse?" she growled out, looking into his eyes. The ginger shook his head no. She turned around and dropped to her knees in front of Fred taking him in. he'd obviously been hit by something-perhaps a rock? He was scratched up and had some broken bones.

"Percy get a medi-witch." She said seriously, grabbing Fred's wrist and feeling for a pulse. Weak, but there. She turned to see that Percy hadn't moved from his spot. Luckily madam pomfrey returned with George at that instant. She pulled the woman aside, not wanting to install false hope.

"Yes dear?"

"He's not dead."

"What do you mean, no pulse? He's not breathing!" she whispered back to Hermione.

"Its an incredibly complicated Muggle ailment. Sleeping beauty syndrome. He's in a deep coma- he doesn't need to breathe that often because his body's shut down. He's trapped in his own mind." Madam pomfrey considered this and understanding lit in her eyes. Hermione's eyes filled with. No one explained it to the weasleys and they were shocked, watching them take Freds body. Hermione didn't leave his side. Not for one minute.

A week later and George and Hermione hadn't left the hospital. The family had given her their thanks; saying that Fred would have been buried alive if it weren't for her-but she just felt it was right. She sat and fidgeted with the ring on her finger when a machine made a sound. His heart picked up, and his chest heaved. George sprung up out of his chair and grabbed the closest medi-wizard. Freds hand gripped Hermione's, and his eyes fluttered open, his breathing heavy.

"Georgie?" he questioned sleepily. George was teary-eyed hearing his brother.

"Yeah. I'm here Freddie. So is Hermione." Fred's head turned and looked at her, she was smiling happily and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

"Oh. Hi Hermione." Her eyes widened and she looked at George before returning to Fred. She squeezed his hand and stared into his eyes searching for something unknown.

"How do you feel? I was so worried." She said-her heart dropping as he shook off her hand.

"Why? We're not even that close." Her eyes widened and she backed up from his bead. From the inside, George could hear Hermione talking to the doctor, while he kept his eyes trained on his twin.

"How _are_ you feeling? I'm assuming I'm close enough to get an answer."

"I feel fine. Honestly it feels like I just took a long nap. What'd I miss? I can't remember much of the battle."

 _Or your fiancé._

"Well, we won. Harry killed ol' moldy voldy in the end. We thought you died. Perce said a wall hit you." He sighed.

"What do you mean thought?"

"You went into this Muggle thing-I don't really know. Hermione figured it out."

"That's why she was so excited to see me? She's never wrong. She shouldn't have worried."

"Well, you see-" just then the doctors head popped into the room and he beckoned George into the hall where Hermione sat, knees to her chest with her head leaning back onto the wall.

"Hermione, what's wrong?"

"She feinted a while ago" dr…. miller said. "Your family should be here in a minute. Its hard to say but I only want to say it once." He cast two spells on Fred's room, the door now shut. "Fred cant hear this, and no one can go in until they understand the severity of the situation" only moments later a herd of gingers, including a speck of black were outside of Freds door.

"What happened to Hermione?" harry asked, stepping towards his unconscious friend.

"Let me explain that" started "when Fred was crushed by the wall; something kept him alive-kept him from dying. Hermione. When he went into SBS, sleeping beauty syndrome, in order to live his mind re-created everything monumental leading up to the incident; which incidentally only pertains to he and Hermione's past. He has no clue that they are engaged, dated, and any secrets that she would have told him. He _can_ remember, but he has to do it on his own. The chances are highly unlikely. Before I let you in his room someone needs to collect everything that would hint to he and Hermione's past." They all were teary eyed. One of the best things in Fred's life was Hermione.

Molly remembered when they were in hiding Fred's worry. He had a notebook and he kept track of the news, her whereabouts, even his dreams. Anything about Hermione he didn't want to forget. Just in case, he said.

Arthur remembered the day they went to Hogwarts, and when he and his son walking in stride. 'Dad, I'm going to propose to her' he turned to his son and saw the slight shape of a box in his pocket. 'She will do you good' he remembered responding. 'You think she will say yes' and to that he just chuckled. 'How could she not?" he responded, clapping his son on the back.

Charlie remembered first hearing they were dating, after being there when the students stepped off the Hogwarts express. They might not have known they were in love then, but they were. Fred didn't want to let her go; but also didn't want to get her in trouble. Hermione wanted him to meet her parents; but also knew not to yell at him or to push his boundaries.

Bill remembered the time she spent with them after Malfoy manor. They didn't tell Fred per Hermione's request, she knew it would kill him. 'I don't want to cause him any more worry'. She loved him and asked all about him, how he was doing, if he was okay, how the battles went.

Percy hadn't been around for very long, a matter of fact after busting Hermione in her fifth year he didn't even know she and Fred were dating. But he truly did fear her when she yelled at him earlier. Percy didn't know love that well. He heard it was terrifying, and Hermione had been pretty damn scary.

George didn't talk to Hermione often; but he had spent an entire year hearing 'do you think Hermione's safe?'. Sometimes random things would bring up thoughts of Hermione. They were making polyjuice potion and Fred, who hadn't talked for an hour, said 'remember that time Hermione saved me from our snack boxes-oh and the love potion cookies. And when she un-aged us. She's just brilliant' pause 'hey Georgie, do you think she's safe?' it was a constant loop.

Ron knew. He knew when he asked her to the ball and looked happy as they danced. Hermione listened to the radio just as often as he did, waiting to hear freds name, constantly asking if he was okay, yelling at them and then walking into the woods muttering things about fred.

Ginny, perhaps, knew the most. Ginny was perceptive; Hermione told her everything. And she snooped in on Fred and George's conversations all the time. They loved each other.

But now she loved her fiancé, who didn't love her, and wouldn't be remembering his own proposal. They wouldn't be getting married. They wouldn't have the large weasley family that he, and she, had always wanted. They wouldn't go on a single date. He didn't love her.

But what was most painful was the thought that she would be forever in love with him and he would move on. They fell in love that day at the ball-and that wouldn't happen again. He could marry any other girl. She could be sitting watching her fiancé get married.

Harry stood and offered to do it, and take Hermione with him. The weasleys accepted because they wanted to see Fred, and harry was the only one who could ever comfort Hermione. He picked her up and carried her bridal style to the fireplace, yelling the address of Freds flat. He layed Hermione down and started mulling over things. An entire wall was devoted to pictures, and 2/3rds of them were just he and Hermione. He placed them in Hermione's magic bag, before re-arranging the ones left behind so that it looked normal. He mulled throughout the rest of the flat before moving on to the one over weasleys wizards wheezes. Fred's old room was filled with pictures as well. He did the same to grimuald place-the safe house the weasleys had stayed at, and Hermione's room at the burrow. She woke up just as he had finished.

"Its so empty without him" she said in a weak voice. It was true, without Fred there was books and clothes. She shook her head and got up, grabbing some clothes and throwing them into a small trunk, as well as a picture of her and Fred and her wand.

"Hermione?"

"You cant stop me harry. It will hurt too much being around him-but I love him; so how could I not keep the secret? I know you would do the same for Ginny." She sighed, looking into the boy's eyes; and they clicked with understanding.

"I would. Where are you going Hermione?"

"I think I'll go to Hogwarts. After all, your heart never leaves home-right?" Hogwarts was her home, but Fred had her heart. It was going to be hard, but it was all for Fred.

 _ **okay...im sorry. but its not the last chapter. at least feeds not dead, right? don't worry. it will come full circle.**_


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